Nobody's Prize
by wisegirl502
Summary: <html><head></head>What would've happened if Kyrian had never fallen in love with Theone? What would've happened if he never gotten captured, tortured, and killed by the Romans? What if Kiara had confronted him when she caught him cheating on her? This is the prequel to my story "Royal Pains" and what would have happened had they not become Dark-Hunters.</html>
1. Chapter 1

**What would've happened if Kyrian had never fallen in love with Theone? What would've happened if he never got captured, tortured, and killed? What if Kiara had confronted him when she caught him cheating on her? I was reading my story "Royal Pains" last night and became inspired by the flashbacks to write a story of 'what would've happened' because I love Kyrian and Kiara together. Just a few rules while reading this story:**

**First, if you like it, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! THEY MAKE ME VERY HAPPY**

**Second, if you like it but have constructive criticism (and not **_**destructive**_**), please let me know!**

**Third, if you hate the story: Leave. Just go. No flames. This is not meant to be totally historically accurate. Go find something better to do with your time. Go find a story you'll actually enjoy.**

**That's all :) Enjoy!  
><strong>

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**Spoils to the victor."**

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

**Kyrian**

"Come now, Julian, give me some competition here!" I jested, laughing as I jumped away from my friend's swipe. The sword missed me by a landslide.

"Enough, enough," Julian said, backing away. "I'm starved. Once I eat, I shall be better."

"Weak," I teased. He punched me in the arm. The two of us took off our armor and changed into more comfortable attire before heading into the palace. When we arrived, my father sat at the end of the table, conversing with someone I did not recognize. He was not Thracian- that much I could tell. He had dark curly hair and dark blue eyes.

"Hello Father," I greeted, bowing. Our father-son relationship had been strained for many years, ever since Queen Tysiphone, my mother, had died. My father had turned very authoritarian on me, making it where it was either his way or the highway. This caused conflict because while I inherited my mother's looks- blonde hair, green eyes- I'd also inherited my father's stubbornness. The two of us clashed often in our beliefs.

"Ah, Kyrian, I'm glad you're here. I'd like you to meet Agathon. He has come here on diplomatic business from Athens."

"What do the Greeks want?" I asked, sitting down. The Thracians and the Greeks were in a shaky alliance with each other; we were cordial with each other, but nothing more or less. I wanted to end the alliance, but with the wealth and power the Greeks possessed, I knew it was foolish to do so.

"The King and Queen have made an offer to strengthen our alliance. Something I do see would be very beneficial for both kingdoms," my father responded. I glanced over at Julian who had seated opposite me next to the guest. He looked just as clueless as I felt.

"May I ask what this offer is?"

"The King and Queen have offered their daughter's hand in marriage as part of their mission to create a stronger alliance. I can't help but agree with them. From what I've heard, their daughter is very beautiful."

"Are you mad?" I demanded, standing up. "I thought you and I agreed that I could marry any girl of _my_ choosing? Not _yours_."

"Kyrian, enough. You are being disrespectful to our guest," King Alkis warned, glaring at me.

I barely restrained from baring my teeth at my father, but politely, I turned to Agathon and said, "Pardon me sir, I mean no disrespect to you or your leaders. I'm just astonished that my father would go against his promise."

"I understand, young prince," Agathon said, bowing his head respectfully.

"What in the gods' name did I promise you?" Alkis inquired furiously, his face reddening.

"That I could marry a girl I _loved_, not one you forced upon me," I repeated, becoming irked he'd already forgotten I'd said this.

"Kyrian, it is your duty to protect this kingdom. If that means marrying Kiara of Athens, then you will."

"Is that what you did with Mother?" I snapped. "Did you marry her out of duty?"

"How dare you bring that up-" my father began, but I wasn't listening. I stormed out of the dining hall and outside to the training area. Putting my armor on, I gruffly grabbed my sword and began taking my frustrations out on the dummy in front of me. I don't know how long I kept going at it until someone cleared their throat. It was Julian. I nodded at him to acknowledge his presence before going back to the dummy.

"You know your Father won't let you say no to this," Julian remarked, leaning against a wall.

I stabbed at my target. "Yes, I know."

"So why argue?"

"Just making him feel how I did." I stopped and looked at my best friend. "Do you know who she is?"

"I know of her, although I've never met her."

"What have you heard of her?"

"According to my sources, Princess Kiara is very beautiful, very kind, rather intelligent, and fiercely loyal. I have a feeling she's not going to be too happy about the arrangement either. Also, her brother is to rule over Athens. I've heard he's pretty hot-headed. His wife has calmed him down though."

"Your Highness!" a voice called out. Kyrian turned around.

"Hello, Agathon."

The man bowed before saying, "King Alkis has sent me to give you word of his decision."

"I already know what his decision is. It's not hard to guess."

"Very well. I head back to Athens tomorrow to announce to my King and Queen that you have accepted their daughter's hand in marriage to strengthen the alliance between Thrace and Greece. You have my gratitude."

"You're welcome," Kyrian said. Agathon disappeared and the prince of Thrace turned to Julian. "Brother, I think you and I are going to have a lot of conquests in our future."

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><p><strong>Kiara<strong>

"Where do you think Agathon went?" I queried as I walked with my handmaiden, Penthea, through the gardens. The man we were discussing, Agathon, was a man I'd been fancying most of my years. He was tall, had curly dark hair, dark blue eyes, and had always been extremely kind to me. He was ten years my senior, but that was no matter to me. The man appeared as if he had not aged since he was seventeen.

"I heard your parents sent him with a message to Thrace," Penthea replied.

"What message could they possibly be sending there?"

"Kiara!" Elysia shouted. I turned around to face my brother's wife. Her brown hair was blowing in the wind as she raced towards me. I was close with her; she was one of the few people besides my mother who could calm my brother down when he had his fits of rage. "I'm so happy for you! I just heard the news!"

"What news?" I asked, taking her hands in mine.

Elysia's excitement changed into confusion. "You don't know?"

"Know what? What are you congratulating me for?"

"Good afternoon, Princess Kiara," Agathon greeted, bowing. My heart soared at the sight of him.

"Good afternoon," I replied, flashing him a smile. "Pardon my asking, but where have you been the past few weeks?"

At this, his smile faltered. "I was sent to give word to King Alkis of Thrace."

"What word would this be?" I asked, watching him curiously. When he didn't reply immediately, I ordered, "Agathon, tell me now: what did my parents send you to tell King Alkis?"

He shuffled uncomfortably on his feet. "In order to strengthen the alliance between Greece and Thrace, they have offered your hand in marriage to the King's son, Prince Kyrian."

It was as if my heart dropped into my stomach. Sounds disappeared, I couldn't think straight, I couldn't move. My parents would never… how could they… I was getting _married_? Anger erupted throughout my entire body and I stormed away from my group, heading to where my parents were. I heard footsteps behind me, but I didn't turn around; I knew who was there. I entered the throne room where my parents were talking with my brother. When they saw me, their faces were lit with exhilaration. Mine, on the other hand, was not.

"Congratulations little-" my brother began but I cut him off by holding up my hand. Barely containing my rage, I demanded, "What is the meaning of this?"

"You should be thrilled, darling!" my mother exclaimed, coming down. When she tried to hold my hands, I pulled them back. Her face fell. "We thought you'd be excited…"

"Excited that you're telling me who to marry? I don't want to marry Kyrian. I'm in love with someone else, mother. We've discussed this many times. You approved of it all."

"Who are you in love with? What man could possibly compete with Kyrian of Thrace?" my father laughed. I became even more irate; he was _mocking_ my pain.

"Dear, it would never work between you and Agathon," my mother consoled.

My mouth fell open. "Mother!"

"You're in love with Agathon?!" my father boomed.

I backed away from my family, embarrassment burning on my face. "I will not marry Kyrian. I will not."

With that said, I bolted out of the room. I knew this palace better than anyone thanks to my late night escapades of walking through it. Therefore I knew the secret passages to get to the stables the fastest. When I got there, I commanded my horse be saddled as fast as possible. Thankfully, the stable boy listened. Within a few minutes, my sorrel horse Arsen was ready. I hopped onto his back and urged him to go. Just as I was leaving, Agathon came into view. The horror of just a few minutes ago tore through me. Hastily looking away, I made Arsen gallop off as fast as he could to get me away from the palace, to get away from my embarrassment, to get away from my future.

I could do it. I could run away. I had had Agathon teach me the layout of the lands both near and far; I had him teach me the most popular languages; I had him teach me which sea and land routes led where; I had him teach me how to fight with a sword, a dagger, and a bow and arrow; I knew how hard I could run my horse without him dying on me from exhaustion; I knew what towns I could stop in.

_I could do it_.

"I know what you're thinking," a voice said from behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned, refusing to look at the man I'd been in love with for years in fear that I'd start crying.

"I came to check on you. You're still Princess of Athens, you still need protection. I know you do not wish to speak to me after what just transpired but, I must ask: is it true?"

"Is what true?" I lied, knowing exactly what he was referring to.

"Do you love me?"

I bit my lip. "Were my red cheeks and hasty departure after my mother and father's statement not enough of an answer for you?"

"I shall take that as a yes." Agathon shifted his horse closer to mine so that he was right next to me. "Your highness, would you please look at me?" When I continued looking away, he sighed. "If I thought I could rule this kingdom with you as an effective king, I would marry you in a heartbeat. I will not hide it any longer in saying I've been in love with you too for quite a few years now. But our lives lead different paths. You are a princess; I am a commoner. You need someone who can take care of you in a way that I can't. I understand you're angry with your parents for doing this without your consent, but trust me when I say you are not the only one shocked by this announcement."

At this, I turned my head. "What do you mean?"

"Prince Kyrian is just as upset with the arrangement as you are. Like you, he wants to marry someone he loves. Considering you two have no choice in the matter anymore, perhaps you two can bond over your annoyance with your parents," Agathon joked.

I smiled. "I will admit, I'm glad to know he's given the same reaction I gave… what is he like?"

"Strong, blonde, tall, a fierce warrior, and very stubborn. He and his father clash often. However, I do believe once the initial awkwardness has passed between the two of you, you will come to at least tolerate each other. I believe you two are very similar."

"I hope you are right, Agathon."

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><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Let me know what you think- y'all know the rules (as stated in the opening author's note) :)<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Enjoy :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**Patience is a virtue, but so is a strong sword arm."**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

**Kiara**

I managed to convince my mother to let me ride outside of the carriage for most of the trip because I was becoming claustrophobic. But when we came close to the kingdom, she forced me to ride inside. I barely talked the entire trip there. If I did speak, it was to Elysia. Whenever my mother tried to engage me in conversation, I gave her short, curt answers. I still had not forgiven her or my father for embarrassing me in front of Agathon. It would be a while before I did.

Within two weeks, we arrived at the gates to the city: Buteridava. It was a sprawling place (although not the largest in Thrace), and I could see the palace rising above everything else. Guards walked up and down the wall, halting when they saw our entourage. I heard the gates opening; peeking out from the curtains, I saw people lining the streets, some waving at us excitedly, others glaring. Those people didn't want us here and I couldn't help but agree with them. I didn't want to be here either.

The carriage ride took twenty minutes for us to get to the palace. When I stopped, I took a deep breath to calm my pounding heart. I was going to meet my future husband in just a few moments. I remembered what Agathon had told me, but what was Kyrian's personality like? Was he kind or mean? Was he smart or ignorant? He must've had some smarts about him if he was a general, but then again, there were some men in mine who I wondered how they got to the ranking they did with their brains (or lack of should I say). Was Kyrian loud or quiet? Romantic or not? Aggressive or passive? Was he blunt or did he sugar coat how he said things? Was he impulsive or logical? So many questions, and I had answers to none of them. If it was possible, my heart beat even faster.

Someone looped their arm through mine. Looking over, I saw Elysia smiling encouragingly at me. She must've sensed my distress. She said, "You'll be fine. You're strong, Kiara. You can do this."

"Glad one of us thinks so," I mumbled as we followed my father and brother down the pathway. Thracian guards lined it, their swords held above our heads, creating almost like a tunnel. The effect was cool, and if I hadn't been so nervous, I would've smiled at them.

"Remember to smile, sweetie," my mother whispered. I ignored her advice. She'd already made me come to Thrace to force me to marry a man I'd never met and was not in love with. She couldn't force me to smile too. Besides, I felt awkward smiling at nothing.

When we entered the actual palace, I had to admit it was nicely built and decorated. Someone in this family had good taste at least.

It was Elysia who stopped me from running straight into my father because I'd been too busy ogling my surroundings that I would soon call home. I slipped my arm out of hers. She had told me I was strong, and if I wanted the King and Kyrian to see that, then I was going to walk in there without any obvious support.

Palace guards opened the doors to the throne room. My guards lined the walkway, but this time without their swords raised. There was also a guard next to King Alkis and next to another person whom I could only assume was Kyrian. The prince had been conversing with his guard, laughing and smiling, until he realized my family and I had entered. His face fell immediately; his guard's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds before looking over at me. To my surprise, he gave me a soft smile. I tried to smile back, but if I did, it would barely be noticeable. I was too nervous right now.

"King Alkis," my father greeted, bowing. My brother followed suit; my mother, Elysia, and I all curtsied.

"King Nikolos, it is a pleasure to have you here," Alkis said, beaming from ear to ear. He stood up and gave my father a hug. Kyrian stood up but stayed where he was. The king proceeded to hug my mother, then my brother, then Elysia, and finally me. When he pulled away, he looked me up and down. "You are very beautiful, Princess Kiara. You will fit in perfectly here. Come, meet my son."

King Alkis led me up to Kyrian. I had to admit, at least my husband would be fun to look at. He was tall, towering above me even though I'm not that short. He had cropped blonde eye, emerald eyes that watched my every step as I came closer to him, and last but not least, his training and fighting as a general had given him an extremely built and muscular body. It was no wonder enemy armies and kingdoms quaked when they heard they were going to have to fight him.

"It is an honor to meet you, Prince Kyrian," I said politely, curtsying.

"The honor is mine," he replied, bowing before taking my hand and kissing it. Kyrian stood back up.

"Tonight, we will have a feast in honor of your arrival. Until then, ladies, I will have Zelina show you to your rooms. King Nikolos, Prince Taren, I ask for your company in discussing military matters."

"My son and I would be glad to stay," my father replied. He gave me and my mother a kiss on our foreheads, telling us he'd see us soon. Elysia, my mother, and I took our leave, following a raven-haired girl out of the room.

"Good afternoon, your majesty, your highnesses. My name is Zelina. I will be one of your handmaidens on your trip. We will go to Your Majesty's first, followed by Princess Elysia, and lastly Princess Kiara." The room for the Queen was also for my father. It was lavishly decorated and a massive basket of fruit awaited them on the bed. The next room for Elysia was had a wonderful view of the town and I knew she and Taren would thoroughly enjoy it. Lastly was my room. "It's right next to Master Kyrian's if you don't mind. King Alkis thought it best to have the two of you next to each other."

I nodded, not saying anything though. I was too busy admiring the room. The floor and columns were made of white marble which had been polished to perfection. The bed was perfectly made with a basket of fruit in the center. Realizing I hadn't eaten in six hours, my stomach rumbled at the sight. I went for an orange on the edge of it. Peeling it, I inquired, "Pardon my curiosity in asking this, but will you be my handmaiden when I become Kyrian's wife?"

"If you wish, yes, although it is Alcina who normally decides who will be your handmaiden. She's the head of the servants here. She'll be training you in preparing to live as the future Queen of Thrace. I'll be helping her sometimes, but if it's a friend you are seeking, I would be very happy to be one to you," Zelina said kindly.

I smiled at her. "Thank you. I may just take you up on that."

"Is there anything else you need your highness?"

"No, and please, call me Kiara. I'm not one for formalities with people close to me."

"Very well, Kiara. If you need anything, do not hesitate to let me know."

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><p><strong>Julian<strong>

"Well," I began as we walked out to the training field, "You could've fared worse. At least she is a beauty to behold."

"There are more important things than beauty, my friend. But yes, you're right. I must ask, do you think she and I will end up a decent match?" Kyrian asked, throwing on his armor.

"It's hard to tell considering I've never met the girl. But if you so wish, I can figure it out for you."

"I would love you forever, brother, if you did that."

"Say no more. I'll find her later today, or perhaps I'll have a chance to speak with her at the feast tonight. Until then, how about you give me a run for my money and try to win a few rounds against me?"

"By the time I'm done with you, you'll be broke," my friend bantered.

"I beg to differ!" With that, we started our sparring match. For three hours, we fought, with Kyrian winning two of three matches. He lorded it over me jokingly but I knocked his sense of humor out with a well-placed kick to the stomach. At least I thought I had. I'd only caused him to laugh harder. I was glad to see my friend in such good spirits after him having been down for the past two weeks, dreading the meeting of his future wife.

"You're such a child sometimes," I mused.

"I'm twenty years old, Julian. I'm still young. How old are you? Forty three?"

"Very funny. Try twenty-three. You-" I stopped as I caught a glimpse of a figure watching us from the shadows. I wondered how long she'd been there. "We have company."

"What?" Kyrian bent his head backwards, rolling over and standing up.

"What do you mean 'what'? It's-" I looked back over to the shade. The figure was gone. "Kiara was there. Just a few seconds ago."

"Where'd she go?"

"I'll go find out. Practice with some other people." I hastily took off my armor and jogged over to the general area where Kiara had been. The path she'd been on led to the gardens so I followed it. Luck was on my side when I arrived. The Athenian princess was strolling through the flowers alone, deep in thought. I cleared my throat to announce my presence. Her head lifted in my direction.

"Greetings, Princess Kiara," I said kindly, bowing.

"Hello soldier," she replied, giving me a curtsy. "What is your name?"

"Julian. I'm a general here in the great Thracian army."

"It's a pleasure." She paused. "You were the guard next to Prince Kyrian when I arrived this morning. You smiled at me. I do hope I smiled back."

"You did," I said with a small laugh, "although only a small one. I believe you were rather nervous. If it makes you feel any better, your highness, Kyrian was nervous as well. Don't tell him I said that though, he'd kill me."

"Your secret is safe with me. I apologize for interrupting your training session."

"You interrupted nothing. If anyone interrupted anything, it was Kyrian with his laughing fit. How long were you there?"

"About twenty minutes. Long enough to see his win over you and to see you place a kick to his stomach. You were trained by Spartans, were you not?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"Your fighting style is similar to a few men in my army from there. I recognized it. I also asked Zelina about the important things around here and she included that you'd been trained by the Spartans," Kiara said sheepishly.

"Already getting the lay of the land I see. That's smart to get familiar with your future home as soon as possible though. And not to brag, but I did train Kyrian," I told her.

"No wonder you two are so well-matched in fighting. It was quite an impressive sight to behold. I already knew you were both feared among enemy armies, but I did not understand the extent of why. Now I do. I must be going; my mother will be mad if I am not back in a few minutes. But I thoroughly enjoyed talking to you Julian. Perhaps we will have a chance to speak again?"

"I look forward to it your highness," I said, bowing. She curtsied at me before walking gracefully away. I liked her. I could tell that once she got to know someone well enough, she would be much more open, much friendlier. With her being in foreign territory with foreign people with the imminent day of her marrying a complete stranger, Julian understood her quietness, her hesitance to say anything. She was testing the waters, to see how far she could go with something. It was strategic. Kiara was smarter than she let on. Kyrian would like that. He enjoyed intelligent women.

"So what's the verdict?"

Speak of the devil… "She's smart. Smarter than people give her credit for. Give her some time; she's still nervous. But I believe we'll start to see more of the true Kiara one she becomes acclimated to living here. When she does, I do think you two will be a good match."

"I hope you're right, Julian."

"I know it's difficult for you to be so, but be patient. She will not submit to force."

"I'll try."

"No, there is no try. You _will_ be patient. Don't try and hide your nervousness from me Kyrian. I can see straight through you."

"Maybe I am nervous, but I'm not going to let her see that. I'm a fearsome Thracian general. I can't show weakness in front of my wife."

I shook my head. "Besides me, Kiara will be the _only_ one you can show that to."

* * *

><p><strong>Kyrian<strong>

The feast began at sundown. Most of the generals in our military attended. One by one, they came and greeted Kiara, either with a bow or a bow and a kiss on the hand. One guy, Macaire, blatantly flirted with her. He was like that with all women though. Kiara didn't seem impressed but he seemed not to notice. However, she was very polite about it. Once introductions were made, we sat down. As the guests of honor, Kiara and I sat at the head of the table on one end. My father and King Nikolos took the other end. Thankfully I had Julian sitting next to me. Penthea, or at least I think that's what her name is, sat beside Kiara. The two girls were chatting amiably. Halfway through the dinner, Macaire started boasting about random qualities of his that, to be honest, weren't all that necessary to boast about.

"I've learned that giving small amounts of flattery increases her likeness of me and makes her think my manners are practiced well and come with ease," he said obnoxiously.

In a whisper that was obviously meant only for Kiara herself to hear, she muttered, "Like anyone would think your manners are practiced. At that, I tried to laugh, but forgot that I'd been swallowing a piece of steak. I began choking but managed to recover. I gave my future wife a look of new found respect. She gave me a curious stare.

"I completely agree," I said, barely restraining my grin from spreading across my entire face.

Horror dawned on her face when she realized I had heard her statement. As Kiara was about to say something, Julian asked, "Are you well Kyrian?"

"Yes, I swallowed a piece of meat the wrong way," I answered. Turning back to Kiara, I added quietly, "I have a feeling that you and I will get along just fine."

"I'm so sorry," she apologized, looking sheepish.

"No, you're not, or else you wouldn't have said it," I pointed out.

She raised one eyebrow, and unless I was mistaken, the corners of her mouth were tugging her lips into a smile. "Yes, I agree. I think we will get along quite well."

Her statement made his heart jump. Maybe this marriage wouldn't be so bad after all. Kiara had this… aura about her that she was much more mischievous than she was currently letting on. I wanted to get to know that side. But she had her guard up. Still, the agreement between us that Macaire was being an abhorrent guest was a small step towards lowering those walls she had. Patience, Julian had told me. Patience would get her to open up. But patience meant time, and time was something Kiara and I were short of before we got married. I wanted to get to know my future wife some more, before we were married. However, I didn't think I was going to get that chance.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed! For those of you who have read "Royal Pains" most of the last scene from Kyrian's view was a flashback of his in "Royal Pains" in case you recognized it :) Review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**I've been listening to the Gladiator soundtrack and it inspired me to write some more for this story so enjoy :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
>"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should."<strong>

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

**Kiara**

I strolled through the gardens with Zelina and Penthea. The former explained the workings here, saying it was quite similar to that of Athens and that it shouldn't be too difficult for me to adjust. The news was welcome for it had been one of my many worries.

"When will our wedding take place?" I inquired, wondering if she knew anything about that.

"Funny you should ask that. I've heard that they may be postponing it," Zelina replied.

"What for?" I dared not let my hope that this wedding might be cancelled show through. Had there been some falling out? Would I be able to go home? Would I possibly be allowed to marry Agathon after all?

"I'm not sure to be honest. I've only heard rumors about it from the other workers."

"Your highness!" A voice called out. The three of us turned around. Julian strode over to us in full armor. The sight of the general was welcome. He always seemed cheerful whenever he spoke to me. Whether that was his regular demeanor or if he just was pleasant to me, I didn't know, but it was sincerely appreciated. We gave each other the proper formality greetings before he said, "I've been instructed to escort you to the throne room. Your presence and Kyrian's is both requested by your parents and his. Zelina, Penthea, I must ask that you do not accompany us. King's orders."

"Understood. Princess, we will meet you in your room after the meeting is done," Zelina said.

"I will see you soon, and how many times do I have to tell you to call me Kiara?" I mused. The servant smiled. Both girls curtsied and left. Julian held out his arm and I looped mine through his.

"Do you know what this summoning is for?" I asked.

"Yes, actually, and I'm not sure if you will consider it good or bad news. I guess it could be seen either way. But I'm not allowed to say anything. How are you today, your highness?" Julian responded, looking down at me. He was as tall as Kyrian and almost, if not as handsome, as Kyrian.

"I'm doing well. I'm enjoying my last few days of freedom before Alcina takes me into training on how to become a 'proper Thracian princess.' What about you, sir?"

"Do you want the truthful answer or the answer that won't bore you?" he laughed.

"Truthful one," I said immediately.

The Thracian warrior sighed. "There's been a sighting of the Roman army heading towards one of our newly captured territories. Kyrian and I are heading out soon to meet them with an army of our own. I'm afraid you'll have to be away from your prince for a while."

"I can manage. You'd be surprised by how independent I am. How long will you two be gone?"

"About a month, maybe three weeks depending on how fast we ride and how long the battle takes. Reports are that the army is small, less than three thousand, but we're not taking any chances. We're taking ten-thousand men. It should be an easy win, but we're still cautious. Actually the caution comes from my part. The strength mostly from Kyrian."

"You will win," I told him. "I'm sure of it."

"You have a lot of faith in people you hardly know," he pointed out.

"I've heard too many stories about the two of you to believe otherwise." Julian smiled at me as we reached the throne room doors. Upon entering, I was greeted by my parents first, then Kyrian's father. My future husband was still not there. Agathon was there, but since he was my father's right-hand man, it was no surprise. Just as Julian's was Kyrian's, Julian was able to remain here as well.

"Would you like to wait for Kyrian to arrive before we tell you the news or would you like for us to tell you now?" King Alkis queried.

"Wait for Kyrian," I answered. "If he's to be my husband, we shall hear news together."

"I'm here!" The Thracian prince announced, jogging into the room. "Apologies, there was a tiff in the practice arena I needed to take care of."

"Glad you could make it. Well, I guess we should get straight to the topic of discussion: your wedding has been postponed," Kyrian's father announced.

Both my fiancé and I were speechless. The first thought in my mind was the possibility that something had fallen through, that I wasn't going to marry him, and that my chances of marrying Agathon had increased. The second thought was what had happened to cause our parents to postpone it? Surely it was something serious?

"May I ask why?" Kyrian piped up.

It was my father who answered. "Seeing as how the two of you were quite against this marriage, we thought it might be a good idea for you two to get to know each more before you two tie the knot. After all, Kiara, you will be expected to bear children quite soon after." I felt sick at the mention of it. My eyes flitted to Kyrian; we made eye contact, blushed, and looked away from each other. At least I wasn't the only one embarrassed and uncomfortable by the comment. "Furthermore, Kyrian will be leaving for a month to stop a Roman attack on one of Thrace's holdings, therefore he won't be here for about a month. With him leaving in two days, that's hardly time to plan a wedding. You two will be given five months to officially acquaint yourselves, which we expect you to do so. This marriage is still on, just postponed. I suggest you both make the most of it."

"Yes, father," I said, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Yes, sir," Kyrian repeated, bowing his head. "Thank you."

"You're both dismissed," King Alkis remarked. I walked out as calmly as I could, but once out of sight of my parents and Kyrian, I bolted. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I wanted to go to the stables. I wanted to see Arsen. I wanted to groom him; it calmed me down, allowed me to think rationally.

Somehow I managed to get there without coming across anybody. Arsen was chewing on some hay when I saw him. He nickered softly, as if sensing my distress. It wasn't that I was upset about the marriage being postponed; it was the idea of bearing children so soon that made me ill. It scared me. I wasn't ready to be a mother yet. Did Kyrian even want children? Would he be a good father? These kinds of thoughts raced through my mind as I grabbed a comb and began detangling Arsen's mane. I didn't hear the footsteps approaching the stall until someone cleared their throat. It was Agathon.

"Are you okay? I saw you running," he explained.

"I thought no one saw me…" I grumbled. Knowing it was useless to hide my feelings, I explained, "I'm not upset about the whole marriage being postponed. In fact I'm glad that I have a chance to get to know Kyrian better, but what my father said about the whole 'bearing children' thing… it makes me sick to think about. I'm not ready to be a mother, let alone have children with a man I'm being forced to marry."

"Your father is giving me the option to stay here and become your servant or go back with him."

"What are you leaning towards?"

"Obviously I want to stay with you. I've practically grown up with you, watched you become the woman you are today, fell in love with the woman you are, but you are not mine, and the thought of not having you belong to me kills me."

"I belong to no one, Agathon. I may get married, I could be captured and made a slave, but I'm not an object. I'm not a prize to be won. I'm a person. Physically I may belong to someone, but my heart will always be my own, no one else's."

He smiled at me. "Does Kyrian know how spirited you are?"

"No, but I'm sure he's figuring out or will. He's smart."

Agathon came up behind me. I turned to face him. "Kiara, I can't watch you marry him. I'm going to go back with your father. I'll stay until the wedding, and I'll be there to help you every step of the way, but I can't stay here afterwards and see you become another man's wife. I lied to you and myself a few weeks ago, saying if I thought I could help you rule, I'd marry you in a heartbeat. In truth, I'd marry you in a heartbeat no matter what the circumstances."

I hadn't realized that I'd been backing up until my back hit the stable wall. Agathon placed his hands in my hair, touching his forehead against mine. My heart sped up but I tried to keep my breathing calm.

"I'll miss you," I breathed, knowing fully well that I should not kiss him, not now that I was engaged to Kyrian, but the temptation. Oh the temptation was practically irresistible…

"I'll miss you too. And Kiara, if I did stay, if you did not want your children to be Kyrian's, I would gladly-"

My eyes snapped up to his, knowing where he was going with this. "Agathon, he and I are both blonde. If you and I had a child together, the chances of it being blonde are slim. Then Kyrian would wonder who was the father and I know he'd trace it back to you. You would be executed and I would be banished if the Fates were kind. No, I will bear only Kyrian's."

"I understand, my princess," he whispered. Giving me a kiss on the forehead, he said, "I must go. If you need me, you know where I am."

I listened to him walk away, calming my beating heart. What was I getting myself into? With Kyrian gone and Agathon here, we could always sneak around… but the idea was repulsive to me. I was worried about Kyrian being unfaithful to me. I didn't want to be the same way. I was not going to a hypocrite.

"Kiara?" I jumped from surprise. Kyrian stood there, looking almost shy.

"Kyrian," I said, curtsying.

"You don't have to curtsy to me when it's just the two of us. You're going to be my wife, we shouldn't have those formalities."

"As you wish."

A pained expression flashed briefly on his face. "I wanted to speak with you about what your father said."

At this, I felt my face redden. I didn't want to speak about this, but I knew there was no way around it, so I approached it with humor. Chuckling, I said, "My family has a knack for embarrassing me."

Kyrian stood next to me and began brushing Arsen's side while I continued to comb my horse's mane. An understanding smile appeared on my fiancé's face. "I can relate. My father has a nasty habit of that as well. I don't want to make things any more awkward between us, but about what your father said, about having children right after we get married… I don't want you to feel pressured by that. I won't let your father or mine pressure you into doing so. I can't stop this marriage, but I can make it a little more bearable for you."

"Do you want children?"

"At some point, but not as soon as our parents want us to. I'm not ready to be a father yet."

I smiled at him. "Another thing we can relate to. I'm not ready to become a mother."

"I'm glad we're on the same page then. Another thing… I won't force you to have children with me. And if you want children but don't want _mine_, we could always go with Agathon's plan."

If it hadn't been for Arsen standing in front of me, I'm pretty sure I would've collapsed from sheer panic. "You heard all that?"

"I came to brush my horse. I heard you two speaking. I did not mean to eavesdrop, I promise." An uncomfortable silence followed for a few minutes. I didn't know what to say. I felt horrible. "Did he kiss you when he left?"

"Just on the forehead. Even if he tried to kiss me on the lips, I would've stopped him. He is not my fiancé. He is not my future husband. The only man I'll willingly let kiss me is you. My feelings towards you, positive or negative, will not affect my faithfulness to you."

"What are your feelings towards me, if you do not mind my asking?" Kyrian questioned.

"Certainly not negative, I can assure you. I don't know you well, Kyrian. It's hard to judge someone after only knowing them for a few days." Facing him, I added gently though, "But from what I've observed, you're a good man. And please, forgive me for what happened between me and Agathon. I had no idea he was-"

Kyrian took my hand in his, shocking me into silence. "I promise when I get back, I will spend all my free time getting to know you and allowing for you to know me. As for the matter with Agathon, he has been in love with you for years, and you him. I cannot change that, but if you two do become lovers, just make sure you two are not caught. It will mean death for him and banishment for you."

"Are you condoning this behavior between us?"

"No. In all honesty, I wish he weren't here. I fear he will prevent us from knowing each other better. But I told you earlier that I can't stop this marriage, but I can make it more bearable. If… if having him here as your lover will make you happy, then so be it."

"You are not like most princes, Kyrian of Thrace," I commented.

At this, Kyrian laughed. "It drives my father mental."

"Your offer is appreciated, but I will not do that to you. I will find other ways of being happy. Grooming my horse, for example, is one of those ways. I'm strong. I will be okay. Agathon will go back with my father, I will make sure of it, and he will not prevent me from getting to know my future husband."

"He certainly fell in love with a wonderful woman. I cannot blame him for being in love with you."

"Don't tell him that. He might think he has a chance with me," I joked.

My fiancé chuckled. "We wouldn't want that. I must be off. There are preparations to be made before I leave." He brushed a strand of hair out of my face. "Are you sure you'll be all right with me gone?"

"Yes, I will be fine. I have my parents, I have Penthea, I have Zelina, and I have Agathon. I will be fine. Plus Alcina will be teaching me the ropes around here, so I'll be quite busy."

"I suppose you will. I will not see you after this. My job will keep me out of the castle. Another reason I wanted to speak with you. I wanted to say goodbye."

"It will seem like no time at all before you're back. I've never really been good with saying farewell to men going off to battle. My mother always told my father and brother to be careful, but I feel like that doesn't suffice to say to my fiancé."

Kyrian smirked. "What would suffice, my princess?"

I thought about it for a moment, looking up as if the gods would give me an answer. Slowly, I replied, "Just… just come back to me, okay?"

"Okay." He paused before leaning towards me and kissing me on the brow. "I will see you in a month."

"I look forward to it."

The prince slipped his hand from mine and disappeared. My heart ached. I wasn't sure what from though. His kindness had been touching so maybe that was it. And if he remained to be the man he was just now once we were married, then perhaps, just maybe, I might fall in love with him.

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><p><strong>I really wanted Agathon and Kiara to kiss because I'm actually kind of shipping them at the moment but I still love Kyrian too much to do that to him. SO, please review :)<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Have fun :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**Most good judgment comes from experience. Most experience comes from bad judgment."**

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><p>Chapter 4<p>

**Kyrian**

I sat in silence while Julian and I led our troops towards our destination. Many men were jesting, cracking jokes. Typically I joined in on the fun. But not today. My parting from Kiara had left me deep in thought. She was much more strong-willed, much more independent than I believe anyone realized. I remembered Agathon asking her if I knew how spirited she was, but I wondered if he knew the full extent as well.

Julian must've picked up on my silence. He trotted his horse alongside mine and asked what was wrong. No one was listening in on our conversation so I told him everything. He was my biggest confidante. Depending on how close Kiara and I became later on, she could possibly become one too, but not yet. My friend's face set itself into a grim expression. "Trust her, Kyrian, but do not trust him. Be watchful of him when we get back. Women have started wars. A girl like her, Agathon may just try to win her over."

"That would be done through a public duel. Winner becomes her husband. Kiara would never let him challenge me, or let me challenge him."

"Could she convince him not to do so? Why did you tell her that she and Agathon could become lovers?"

"I told you. Because I thought that maybe it'd… make the marriage easier for her," I muttered, now realizing how foolish I sounded.

"Kyrian, if Agathon gets word of that, he could very try to get his way with her, whether she approves of it or not."

"Are you trying to make me more worried than I already am about her?" I demanded.

Julian gave me a curious look. "You're falling in love with her. What on earth did she say to you to warrant such a change of heart?"

"That's just it. She's hardly said anything to me. But after that talk in the stables, I think we're more on the same page. We're relating more than I thought we would."

"How'd she take saying goodbye?"

"That's just it, she didn't really say goodbye."

"What did she say?"

"'Just come back to me.'"

"Looks like you're not the only one getting attached."

"I doubt it's from attachment. It's from duty of being faithful. And I'm not getting attached to her," I protested. It was a lie though. I'd been attached to Kiara from the day we had dinner together, when she'd made fun of Macaire's boasting.

"Why are you so afraid of loving her?" My friend questioned. I remained silent, not wanting to voice my reason. But apparently, my silence gave him his answer. In a quiet voice, he said, "Kiara is not your mother. What happened to your mother will not happen to Kiara."

I shook my head. "You don't know that. Enough of this talk. Let's go find us some Romans."

* * *

><p><strong>Kiara<strong>

It was taking every ounce of self-control I possessed not to strangle Alcina, my mentor for how to become a 'proper Thracian princess.' She was not kind, she was not instructive. She was rude and critical of every little thing I did. Had one strand of hair in my face? Sloppy. Forgot to fold my hands in my lap? I was born in a barn. Accidentally tripped over my too long of a dress she made for me? Clumsy. I disagreed with her on a topic? Disgraceful. Nothing I said or did could win her approval. It irked me to no end, but for some reason, I felt like she wanted this reaction from me. Instead, whenever she criticized me, I'd nod and apologize. I could keep up the act around her and my parents and Kyrian's father, but once alone in my room, I'd curl up in my bed and wish I was back home. I'd wish I was riding Arsen on the beach, the ocean water spraying onto my face. I'd wish I was able to read the scrolls from my father's library, study the maps in his study.

But no.

This was not my home. This was a foreign place to me that I was going to be forced to call home. And that thought made me sit up and reevaluate what I could do. I could mope and be depressed about this situation, or I could make the most of being here, learn my way around the palace, find good private spots I could use to escape Alcina's watchful glare. The former was not an option; that was not me.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get away from Alcina now. She was teaching me how to eat like a princess, like I didn't know already. Obviously my manners hadn't offended anyone at the past dinners since no one had complained on me, but apparently, I was doing everything wrong.

"Mother, we've been out this for hours. Perhaps her highness is exhausted?" Dorothea suggested. She was Alcina's very sweet daughter. Perhaps she had her father's temperament because she certainly didn't have her mother's.

"Princesses never stop. She should know that. Now be quiet," Alcina ordered. I sent Dorothea a grateful glance, one she returned. I listened to my mentor drone on about proper etiquette, counting down until Agathon would come rescue me to bring me to lunch. Just the thought of food made my mouth water.

Knocking brought me out of my thoughts. Alcina opened the door. Agathon stood there, smile on his face. "I'm here to bring her highness to lunch."

"Has that much time passed already?" She mused in annoyance. "Very well. Princess, you are dismissed. I will see you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it, my lady," I said, curtsying. That was a total lie, but it was the proper response. I had to remain proper. I looped my arm through Agathon's and he led me to the dining hall.

"How are you lessons?" he asked.

"Painful. Alcina is evil. I swear she despises me. I can't wait until Kyrian gets back so I can use the excuse that I must get to know him in order to get out of my lessons."

He grimaced. "You might get that chance sooner than you think."

"What do you mean? It's been three weeks; I was told Kyrian wouldn't be back for one more."

"You were told wrong," my fiancé said, stepping from the dining hall into the hallway. I pulled my arm from Agathon's and gave Kyrian a hug. I felt his arms go around me. When I pulled away, I smiled and said, "You came back."

"I said I would," he replied, kissing my hand. Turning to Agathon, he added, "Sir, thank you for escorting her down, but I will take it from here. Our meal is not in the dining hall."

Agathon bowed stiffly. I knew he didn't like the affection Kyrian and I were showing each other, but I didn't care. I was just glad my fiancé was back. It was good to see him again. Once my friend was gone, I asked, "Did you beat the Romans?"

"None are left," he declared. "That should send a clear message to Valerius that we are the last kingdom he should challenge. But those are matters that can be discussed later. Come, our lunch awaits us." Kyrian took my hand gently in his and led me to the gardens. The sun was bright out, but there was a light breeze that took away the brunt of the heat. He brought me under the shade of a Valonia Oak tree where a blanket was spread out, and an assortment of fish and fruit on dishes arranged neatly in the center. "I thought we could have lunch, just the two of us. Away from our parents so we could both avoid being embarrassed."

I laughed. "Because we both know that would happen."

The two of us sat down. Kyrian and I dug in. Between mouthfuls, he asked, "How were you while I was gone?"

Not wanting to tell him just how difficult I was finding it, I lied, "I've been very well. Although I must say, I am looking forward to spending more time with you rather than Alcina. How are you?"

"I'm glad to be home. I don't think I've ever said that before."

"Why not?"

"I never had something to look forward to. Now I do."

A blush crept onto my cheeks. Kyrian certainly knew how to make a girl feel special. However, I wondered where it came from. Alcina had been sure to mention his… excursions with other women. While she never went into detail, I still wondered. I dared not ask him though. It might make him think I was impertinent. I also didn't know him well enough to warrant such a question.

The two of us chatted amiably for a couple hours, swapping childhood stories. His mostly consisted of him and Julian causing trouble for King Alkis. I noticed that he never said anything about his mother. The curiosity about why was bugging me, but I chose to ask Julian or Zelina. Maybe one of them would tell me.

"There you are!" Someone declared. I groaned inadvertently at the sound of Alcina. Kyrian struggled not to laugh at my reaction. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I've been here the entire time," said.

"Have you two been unaccompanied this entire time?" She demanded.

"There's guards around, Alcina. You need not worry," Kyrian consoled.

"Their backs are turned. The gods know what you two could've gotten away with. Princess Kiara, you have a fitting. Your wedding may not be for another couple months but there is much to prepare. Come."

"I shall walk back with you two. It is on the way to my room and let us face it, I need to change." Kyrian helped me up, not giving Alcina the chance to argue. Her disapproval was plain on her face but if my fiancé noticed, he said nothing about it. The three of us walked back to inside the palace. It only took a few seconds to arrive at the room where my fitting was. Kyrian kissed me on the forehead before leaving. I smiled as I followed Alcina into the room.

"Now I understand why he accepted to have you as his wife. You're a beautiful thing to be on his arm," she remarked. Fury boiled in my veins. I was no '_thing_.' However, knowing her, she probably wanted to elicit a reaction from me. I wasn't going to give her one. Instead, I said, "Having me be alone with Kyrian, who are you more worried about misbehaving. Me or him?"

"This may come as a shock to you, but I worry about him more often. You at least have strong self-control. He on the other hand has had quite a few excursions with women. Do not let me catch the two of you unattended again or I will bring up the matter with the king."

After that, I remained silent, only answering questions if it was absolutely necessary. My mind was focused on what Alcina had said, about me being a trophy wife and Kyrian's endeavors with other women. Exactly _how_ many women had he been with before me? It's not that it was looked down upon for men to do so, just women because that was our society, but would he remain faithful to me after our marriage?

It took well over five hours to get the correct measurements for the dress, choose the fabrics, the color, and the design. I was itching to get out of there. Alcina allowed me to go when she got tired of my fidgeting. I walked briskly to my room, wanting to be alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Kyrian<strong>

My fiancée's demeanor had completely changed since I'd last seen her. At lunch, she'd been smiling and laughing. Now, at dinner, she remained silent, her eyes kept down on her food. I began to wonder what warranted such a change in attitude. An attempt to ask her after dinner was foiled by my father who wished to speak with me about some trivial matters that seemed very unimportant to me, or I at least wondered why he wanted my opinion on them when he could easily just figure it out himself.

Once my father was done talking, I made my way towards Kiara's room, figuring that was the first place she'd go. There or the stables. I knocked softly on her door. When she didn't answer, I knocked again, saying, "Kiara? It's me. Kyrian."

If it hadn't been for the slightest of shuffling from within her room, I very well may have left. Hesitantly, I opened the door, not wanting to intrude in case she was unclothed. That would make the most _wonderful_ impression (take note of my sarcasm). Looking around, Kiara wasn't in her main bedchamber, but I saw the light blue fabric of her dress out on the balcony. I walked over to her. She was sitting on the balustrade; her legs were drawn up to her chest, arms locked around them, and her chin resting on her knees. She wore a troubled expression, and the way she kept fiddling her thumbs and how she was biting her lip only supported the obvious. Not knowing if she knew I was there, I got ready to clear my throat but she caught me off. "I know you are there. I just didn't feel like talking."

I hopped onto the balustrade myself, facing her. She still didn't look at me. I said, "I happened to hear you in here or else I would have left."

"I knew I should not have moved, but if I had not, I would have fallen over the balcony." Kiara glanced down with distaste over the balcony, adding, "That would really be quite painful if I fell."

"Why are you out here?" I asked gently. "I know it is the warm season, but it's still a chilly night."

She shrugged. "I came out here to think. I think best outside and when it's night. Day is too busy and loud to think clearly."

"What's on your mind?" I prodded, moving over so I could sit directly in front of her.

"I am only sixteen Kyrian. I know I am of marrying age but I always thought I would rule over Athens, not another country," She replied, her tone slightly bitter.

"I understand," I consoled.

"No, you don't," she declared, her eyes finally meeting mine. "You do not have to leave the only place you have ever known to rule a place you are a complete stranger to."

Kiara got up and glided angrily into her room, hands clenched into fists. I followed her but kept my distance. Something told me she did not want me to be near her at the moment. However, I did ask her, "Why do I get the feeling leaving your home is not the only reason you want to leave here?"

"Why do you think that?" She countered a little too quickly.

"I have been trained to read emotions, no matter how well they are hidden. While you have been doing a phenomenal job, I can still see something is bothering you. I want to know so I can help," I told her softly and sincerely.

Kiara regarded me for moment, probably deciding whether or not she could believe me before demanding lightly, "And why should I trust you?"

"I want to get to know you. I do not just want to know _Princess_ Kiara. I want to know _the_ Kiara. I want to know what you are truly like. I want to get to know my future wife."

Harrumphing as she walked over to her dresser, she muttered, "I do not think that it was Alcina wants."

"What?" My brow furrowed, wondering what her mentor had been doing that had caused my fiancée to be this down. Whatever it was, I didn't like it. "What is Alcina doing?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

I walked over to her, placing my hands gently on her arms. "No, I'm not going to forget. I want to know what she is saying or doing to upset you."

There was a desperation in her eyes, one that said she wanted to tell me what was going on. But there was also determination, one that did not want to show weakness to me, one that did not want to give Alcina the satisfaction of knowing she'd gotten underneath Kiara's skin. "No, I do not want to get her in trouble. Maybe I'm just being overly sensitive," the princess said, shaking her head. She pulled back from me so she could sit on her bed. I knelt in front of her, lifting her chin with my finger so I could look her in the eye.

"Kiara, I cannot begin to understand how difficult this must be for you, being away from the only place you have ever known, knowing no one and being forced to marry someone that is a complete stranger to you. I can understand that last one I said but that's not my point. My point is that I want you to know I am always here for you. I do not want you to be unhappy. Please. Tell me what happened. Alcina is supposed to be helping you learn your way around the place and what your roles will be here. Is she doing something wrong?"

Her eyes averted away from mine. "She has been here longer than I have. I do not want her to lose her occupation because of a princess who could not handle her words."

"Are you always this obstinate?" I asked in exasperation, giving her an amused gaze.

She looked back at me, a smile tugging on her lips. "Yes. It drives my parents mad, but it is who I am. I tend to trust people only after I've gotten to know them."

"Well let me tell you about me. I am Prince Kyrian of Thrace; I am twenty years old. I am a general along with my best friend Julian and we are feared by all that cross our paths. I am just as stubborn as you which I do want you to know that I idolize you for your obstinacy. I am easily amused and I like when people speak their mind because it gives me something to think about, whether I agree or not. I also love long walks in the garden in the moonlight."

She let out a laugh. "Do you always do this when you want someone to tell you something?"

"No," I admitted. "I only tell people that last one when I feel I can trust them."

"You trust me?" She queried doubtfully.

"Yes, I do. And I'm not saying that just to get you to tell me what is wrong. I can tell I can trust you. You… you give off that aura. Now do not get me wrong, I desperately want to know what Alcina did so I can help you but if you do not want to tell me now, I shall wait."

"Do you always get what you want?"

"All but once," I said with a smile.

"When was that?"

"Right now."

Silence ensued for a few moments. With a grim expression, Kiara finally explained. "Alcina told me the only reason I was chosen to be your wife is because I am a beautiful _thing_ and will look good on your arm. She called me a _thing_," Kiara ranted. Suddenly she turned shy and added, "She, uh, also explained about your excursions…"

"Excursions?"

"With women…"

I was flabbergasted. "That's preposterous! I admit I have had a few flings here and there but nothing the gods would disapprove of but I swear on my life that I have been and always will be faithful to you."

"I believe you."

"I will say Alcina had two things right."

Kiara's eyes shot daggers at me and I hastily informed her of my reasoning before she killed me on the spot. "What I mean is you _are_ beautiful, there is no doubt about that. And yes, you will look wonderfully on my arm, but you are no _thing _and never will be one. You are Princess Kiara and you are a person, a powerful one at that. We will rule this country together. I must tell you the reason Alcina probably said what she did is because she has always wanted her daughter to be my wife."

"Why did you not take her daughter's hand?"

"Because she is merely a friend to me, nothing else. I have never considered her anything but a friend. I must be going because it is not good for me to be with you this long unattended, but I want you to know something will change."

"Please do not tell Alcina I told you what occurred between her and me; do not fire her either. I do not want her to have another reason to despise me," Kiara whispered.

"I will do as you wish. Good night, Kiara. Worry not, my dear, about Alcina. I will handle everything. Now, get a good night's rest. Sweet dreams." I kissed her on the forehead. I started walking to the door, but she called out my name, halting me. I turned around. Kiara walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. "Thank you, Kyrian."

"Of course, _prinkípissa mou_."

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><p><strong>Think Kyrian can do it? Let me know in a review!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I should really be reading ten pages on women and Calvinism and writing a synthesis on it but I just came up with a whole new plot thingy for this and I JUST HAD TO WRITE IT. HAVE FUN PEOPLE!**

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**Moderation in all things, except my anger."**

* * *

><p>Chapter 5<p>

**Kiara**

Whatever Kyrian had done, Alcina had stopped all lessons with me. Whatever Kyrian had done, I loved him for it. My days changed from being tortured by Alcina to having free run of the palace, only having duties randomly throughout the week and only seeing the irksome woman when there were preparations for the wedding to be made. Obviously that would change once I actually became a princess, particularly queen, but anything was better than being with Alcina.

It'd been a month since my last lesson with her. Currently I was brushing Arsen after riding him around the palace grounds. It always melted away my stress. I don't know why, but I felt free when I was riding my horse. I felt like there were no boundaries holding me back. No one could tell me what to do.

"Kiara?" Agathon called out.

"Over here!" I responded. My friend walked over. He wore armor, telling me he'd come from the training arena. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," he said with a smile.

"Grab a brush. Help me clean Arsen."

"What happened to him?" He bellowed, glancing at the dried brown filth that ran all the way up my horse's legs.

"We may have discovered a mud pit. It was deep but Arsen accidentally jumped in it."

"You two always did find trouble."

"It's more like trouble finds us. Me in particular. He just happens to be my companion when it usually happens," I remarked. The two of us fell silent as we continued to groom. It didn't take long to get Arsen clean with both of us there. After leading him into the stall and making sure there was no way he could get out (that horse is entirely too smart and has learned how to unlock his stalls), Agathon and I walked back to the palace.

"How are getting along with Kyrian?"

I smiled at the thought of my fiancé. "We're getting along better and better each day. We're quite similar, actually. And I owe it all to him for getting me away from Alcina. I don't know what he did, but it worked."

"Are you feeling better about the marriage?"

I bit my lip. "I'll always worry about it until it actually happens, but can I tell you something? I don't want this leaving between us."

"Of course," he said immediately. The two of us walked into my room. After shutting the door, I took a deep breath and confessed, "I think I might actually be falling in love with him." Agathon's mouth fell open. "It's not just because he has godly looks. He's surprisingly very sweet and caring and funny, and he's actively trying to make this arranged marriage easier on me. I mean he offered to let you be my lover if that meant I'd be happy living here and-"

"What did you say to that?" he interrupted, taking a step towards me. His eyes flashed with curiosity, but the gesture made me take a step back.

"I said no."

"Why did you say that?" he inquired.

"Because if anyone but him discovered us, it would mean your death and my banishment. I could handle my punishment, but I couldn't watch you die. Besides, I would never be unfaithful to my husband."

Agathon walked over to me. I placed my hands on his chest to stop him. For some reason, I didn't want him to come near me. That look in his eyes earlier… it made me wary. "Stop."

Needless to say, he didn't. In fact, he wrapped his arms around me, squeezing my arms between his chest and mine, making them effectively immobile. Panic started to rise in my chest. Agathon bent his forehead against mine. His breath reeked of alcohol. Was he… drunk?

"Why did you turn his offer down?" he whispered. "It would give us a chance to be together."

"Because I'm going to be Kyrian's wife. The gods would look down upon it and only they know what they would do to me for it."

"I'd protect you," he said, his lips beginning to touch mine. I tried to lean my head back, away from him, but it was blocked by the wall. I starting cursing mentally for allowing myself to get in this situation. Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine. I didn't kiss back. I struggled against him, trying to push him away with my arms, my legs, my whole body. "Kiara, stop fighting this. I love you, you love me. Why do you resist?"

I was about to tell him very unkindly to get the hell off of me but he kissed me, and this time he forced his tongue into my mouth. I wanted to gag. Cringing, I managed to say 'get away from me' but it was muffled thanks to his inconveniently placed mouth.

"Get the hell away from her," a deep voice growled. Someone yanked Agathon off me and threw him on the ground. Relief surged through me. Kyrian stood there. Turning his head, he asked me, "Are you okay?"

"Better now. Thank you," I answered. My fiancée nodded and picked Agathon up by his armor. Sneering, he said, "When a woman tells you to get off of her, to get away from her, you listen." Kyrian shoved Agathon away but the Greek had other ideas. I could barely warn the Thracian general before Agathon punched him hard. Kyrian barely moved, but rage filled his eyes.

"You dare attack me?" Kyrian stalked towards Agathon. I ran over to them, meaning to get between them to stop anything from happening, but the latter shoved me aside. In a blink of an eye, the two of them were at it. Neither really had the upper hand in the fight, which shocked me. I never knew Agathon actually knew how to fight like he did. There was a break when the two men kicked each other away. Taking advantage of the opportunity, I slid in front of Kyrian, placing my hands on his shoulders.

"Kyrian, don't," I said. Instead of pushing me away, his green eyes went down to mine.

"Let me at him, Kiara."

"No. Enough, from the both of you," I told him firmly, glancing back at Agathon just to check on what he was doing. He was standing now, glaring at his competitor.

"Why are you protecting him? He just-" Kyrian faltered. "I forget. You're in love with him."

For some reason, Agathon began guffawing. "Oh this is wonderful! This is- this is classic!"

"What are you talking about?" I demanded, looking at him.

"Oh no, the prince can explain this one. When you want to confess your love to me princess, you know where to find me." My father's right-hand man gave an unsteady bow and strode out of my room unsteadily.

"He was drunk, Kyrian. He wouldn't have done that to me sober."

"Why'd you stop me?"

"You were going to kill him, and there is no honor in killing a drunk man. If you want to fight him, fight him sober." I paused. "What did Agathon mean when he said you had to explain something to me?"

"Nothing. Forget what he said," he muttered, pulling himself away from me.

"No, no, no, what needs to be explained?" I questioned gently, grabbing his arm. He yanked it away from me.

"I said forget it!" he barked just as Penthea and Zelina came rushing into the room. The outburst shocked me into silence. Rather than begging for him to explain, I didn't want to cause a scene, not with the two girls watching. No matter how much I trusted them, I knew the story would spread like a wildfire among the servants. Instead I went the simple route. Curtsying with the most stoic tone and expression I could muster, I said, "As you wish, your highness."

Kyrian stared at me for a few seconds, almost as if he wanted to say something. However, he chose not to say anything and stalked out of my room. Penthea and Zelina remained quiet, waiting for me to say something. I breathed heavily. After all the progress Kyrian and I had made in our relationship, we'd gone back to square one. Out of frustration, I slammed my first into the marble column next to me. I felt the blood welling up on my knuckles, heard me two servants fussing over me.

"Leave me be," I ordered.

"But your hand-"

"Can be taken care of by myself," I finished. "Now go."

They listened.

* * *

><p><strong>Julian<strong>

"Why did I ever let my father actually go through with his? I could've convince him otherwise! Stupid! I told myself not to get attached, especially when I knew she was in love with another man, but what do I do? I fall in love with her! To think I could even begin to trust her! Gods what was I thinking?! I'm talking to my father tonight and I'm getting this marriage cancelled! I hate her!" Kyrian ranted. "Where's my sword?! Bring me my sword and a dummy to practice on!"

Julian simply stared at his friend. "You're going to give up on her after one fight?"

"She stopped me from killing a man that assaulted her because he was drunk. Drunk or not, he had no right doing that to her. He has no right to be alive. He's scum."

"So you are upset with her and say you hate her yet you still want to kill any man who touches her? Kyrian, it sounds to me like you love her and just don't want to admit it."

My friend's shoulders sagged, his bravado gone. "I do, and she has no idea. I fear if I say anything to her about it, she'll push me away."

"She's known him her whole life. Of course she's not going to want you to kill him. But let me remind you, you said she was putting up resistance when you walked in, right?"

"Yes."

"If she loved him as much as you claim she does, she would've been kissing him back, not telling him to get away, especially after that offer you gave her." I sighed when my friend didn't say anything back. He was studiously ignoring me. "Kyrian, it's time for dinner. Stop moping, clean up your act, and talk to her after dinner."

"I don't want to talk to her. And she made it clear at the end she was fine by that."

"What exactly did she say?" I mused, my empty stomach making me a little short-tempered.

"She's been calling my Kyrian for the past two months. Our relationship has regressed. She's calling me 'your highness' again." Almost as an afterthought, he added sadly, "I don't like it."

"I'm sure it was just a one-time thing. You were mad, she was upset. It'll probably be the only time she says it."

"I bet you twenty drachma you're wrong. Now, come on. I'm hungry, you're hungry, it is dinner time, so what are we still doing here?"

"You're bet is taken. And about dinner, that's the most logical statement to come out of your mouth for this entire conversation." Kyrian glowered at me but remained silent. We walked to the dining hall. King Alkis and Kiara's family were all there. Kyrian and I took our places at the table.

"Does anyone know where my daughter is?" King Nikolos asked. "Would you boys happen to know where she is?"

"No sir," I replied. "Kyrian and I have been in the training field most of the day."

At that moment, the sound of pattering feet made all of us turn to look at the door. In a few seconds, a breathless Kiara came into view. When she saw all of us looking at her, she blushed.

"My sincerest apologies, your majesty, I lost track of time. It won't happen again," she declared. Walking over to her chair, she quickly sat down. Her sister-in-law, Elysia, began chatting with her as our appetizer was set in front of us. I noticed Kiara wore cloth around her hands. Upon mentioning it to her, she simply explained that her hands were cold. It was a complete lie. I saw her cringe every time she bent her knuckles. She'd injured herself. I couldn't point it out to Kyrian without drawing attention to our whispering so I remained silent.

"This food is incredible," Kiara's mother sighed. "I can only imagine what the food will be like at the wedding!"

"Oh Kiara, your dress is gorgeous! Everyone, just wait until you see her in it! She's going to be the envy of all the girls in the city," Elysia added. The Grecian princess smiled at her friend but remained silent. The conversation turned towards the wedding itself, but the couple it was focused on remained quiet until Kyrian finally said, "Father, I've been meaning to talk to you about the wedding."

Everyone went on the merry way eating their food, but Kiara's hand that had been moving a piece of steak to her mouth froze midway there. Immediately it hit me she'd somehow heard what Kyrian had been saying earlier. There'd been no one around us, but it wasn't like my friend had exactly been quiet about it. If she'd been coming to seek him out, she easily could've figured out where he was, come to the training area, remain unseen, and still hear everything being said.

As if sensing my gaze, her eyes flitted up to meet mine. Realizing she'd frozen, she carefully set down her fork. Before Kyrian could go further on the topic, she asked, "Pardon for the interruption, but I'm not feeling well. May I be excused from dinner?"

"Of course, dear. Would you like Kyrian to escort you up to your room?" King Alkis offered.

She quickly protested. "Oh no. It's just that he's hardly done with his meal. I'd hate to interrupt his highness's dinner. No, no, I can make it back to my room on my own." Giving the king a very sweet smile, she curtsied and took her leave. When she was half way to the door, Kyrian continued, "I was just wondering who all we've decided to invite to the wedding and when we should send word to them about the date."

Kiara's head turned ever so slightly but I saw the tension leave her shoulders. I smiled to myself though. Kyrian hadn't given up on her like he told me. Not that I actually believed he would've talked to his father about cancelling the wedding, but still. The meal passed without any more interruptions.

At the end, when Kyrian and I were walking back to our respective bedchambers, I paid him twenty drachma. He'd seemed to have forgotten about the bet.

"Do you think she's okay?" he questioned.

"Honestly, I think she's more upset than she's leading you on to believe. I don't know if you realized this, but she wasn't wearing those gloves because her hands were cold."

"You think she hurt herself?"

"Maybe it was an accident, maybe on purpose, but yes, I think she hurt herself."

"Oh! Sorry your highness, sorry General," Zelina said when she bumped into them. I steadied her; her arms were full of bandages, a bowl of warm water, and some bottle of what appeared to be a salve.

"Who are these for?" Kyrian demanded.

The girl cowered slightly. "For Princess Kiara."

"Stop it, you're scaring her," I scolded my friend. He apologized to Zelina for frightening her but his mind was elsewhere. He walked up to Kiara's door and knocked. From inside, his fiancée called out, "Unless you are Zelina, I do not want to have any other company!"

Kyrian sighed. Not saying anything to me or Zelina, he entered his room.

"Let me get the door for you," I offered. I knocked on Kiara's door to announce her servant's arrival. When the princess saw me, she quickly hid her hands behind her back. I simply told her, "I know the gloves weren't because your hands were cold. You don't have to hide your injuries from me."

She nodded but kept them hidden. Zelina finished putting everything down on Kiara's dresser before asking, "Are you sure you do not need help, princess?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Thank you. You're dismissed. Go get some sleep, all right?" The servant curtsied and left. I lingered in the doorway before inquiring, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"And your hands?"

"Hurting, but nothing that won't heal properly."

"May I speak with you?"

"Julian, the last two men I've trusted in my room, I've ruined my relationship with. I do not want you to be a third. I value our friendship too much."

"Yes, well, I'm much calmer than your husband and much more respectful than Agathon." Kiara hesitated but finally nodded, allowing me to come in. I shut the door so we could have some privacy. She sat down and put her hands in the warm water. I didn't see the injuries. I pulled up a chair in front of her and said, "For the record, I want you to know you didn't ruin your relationship with Kyrian, and you did not ruin your relationship with Agathon. He did that himself, not you. Let me see your hands," I encouraged gently. She did as told. The knuckles on her right hand were bruised and bloody, the knuckles on her left only bruised. "What happened to your right hand?"

"I punched a marble column," she answered simply.

"_You punched a marble column_?" I repeated in shock.

"I'm glad you can hear," she said.

Shaking my head, I lifted her left hand. "What about this one?"

"I punched Agathon."

At that I laughed. "Bastard deserved it. Let me help you bandage them up. I'm good at it. Being a general, I've had to learn to be a doctor from time to time. Stick your hands back in the water though. It'll help clean the wound on your right hand."

Kiara nodded. "How is Kyrian?"

"Upset, but worried about the same thing you are, thinking he ruined the relationship. You calling him 'your highness' really got to him for some reason. Don't look at me, I don't know why it got to him. I don't know what goes through Kyrian's mind half the time and I've known him much longer than you have so don't get flustered if you don't understand him. _I_ still don't." She smiled briefly. "You do know he didn't mean it though, right?"

"Mean what?"

"I know you heard him earlier in the training field," I pointed out.

Kiara flushed. "I was trying to find him to apologize, to see if I could salvage… I only heard some of it, but I don't believe I wanted to hear the beginning of it."

"What part did you come in at?"

"Him ranting about how he shouldn't have trusted me."

"When did you leave?"

"Him wanting his sword."

"If you would've stayed longer, maybe it'd be easier to explain how untrue everything he said is. This is just one fight. I promise you will both get over it. I can't tell you how many times my wife, Penelope, and I have fought. She would always go for a walk afterwards, usually in town. She said it calmed her down, allowed her to think rationally about how to approach the same conversation next time. It always worked."

"What would you do?"

"I'd sit down and worry about her until she got back," I admitted.

"She's lucky to have you as a husband. I would love to meet her someday," Kiara said, smiling.

"Drop by our home any time. She's almost always there. It's the first house on the right when you're leaving the palace itself. We live on the grounds so whenever there are emergencies, I'm right there. You two can share each other's company when Kyrian and I leave."

"You two are leaving soon?"

"In a week's time. Two weeks at most. Just to take care of small thing in a nearby city. We'll be back in no time."

"I will miss you. Both of you."

"I will tell him that."

"Good luck getting him to believe you," she mumbled.

"He will. Here, let me put the salve on your hands and bandage them up so you can get to bed." She took her hands out of the water and handed them to me. I worked quickly. In a few minutes, her hands were bandaged and she folded them in her lap.

"I'm not sure if you can answer this, but Agathon teased Kyrian about something being classic, that Kyrian should explain it to me. You wouldn't happen to know what Agathon meant for him to explain, do you?"

"I do, but it is not my place to tell. That is something Kyrian needs to tell you himself. I do apologize though, princess. I must be going. Penelope will kill me if I'm out too late again. Get some rest, and feel better. I will see you tomorrow at breakfast?"

"Yes. Thank you, Julian. For everything."

"Any time. And look, we're still friends." I winked at her as she laughed. Telling her good night, I left.

* * *

><p><strong>Review please :)<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**I love Julian and Kiara's friendship- the former is such a sweetheart. Read on! :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman."**

* * *

><p>Chapter 6<p>

**Kiara**

The talk with Julian had helped me in believing Kyrian and I still had a chance to make things work between us. On the contrary, I wasn't exactly ready to face him mainly for the fact I didn't know how to apologize, I didn't know how to tell him that I was actually falling for him, and I didn't even know how to start the whole conversation itself. It'd been three days and neither of us had said a word to each other, let alone looked at each other. Julian watched us carefully, but if he was judging us, he didn't let on.

I sighed. I'd been up for at least two hours and there was no hope of me going back to sleep. Breakfast was in an hour but I wasn't hungry. I didn't want to go. Suddenly an idea struck me. I'd been here nigh on two months, and I still hadn't seen the city. Remembering what Julian had told me about what his wife did, I got up, changing into a very simple dress. It was still nice, but less flashy than my others. I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Grabbing my cloak, I threw it over my shoulders while calling for Penthea. She came instantly.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"For a walk. I cannot fall back asleep and feel the fresh air will do me good. Please tell my family and the king that I was not feeling well and chose to miss breakfast. Whatever you do, do not let them in my room. I don't want them finding out I lied." My handmaiden nodded. I left my room, slipping over to the servants' stairwell. I was using it to sneak down and out of the castle. Only a few people passed me. When their eyes lit up with recognition, I kept them hushed by placing a finger to my lips. They nodded and bowed before going on their way. My prayers must've been heard by the gods because I managed to slip out of the palace unnoticed. Guards walked up and down but none paid me any attention. It took me twenty minutes to actually figure out my way into town. When I got there, it was already hustling and bustling. Carts rolled by me, men shouted out that they had good deals (supposedly better than their neighbor's), women dragged screaming kids along as they began their errands, and drunken men staggered out of bars, looking disoriented. It was enthralling to finally be out of the palace walls. I started walking slowly, studying each vendor's cart. One man stopped me, offering me to try 'the best strawberry I'd ever had in my life.' I took it with a smile. I had to admit, it was delicious. I bought some from him just because he'd been so sweet. I made my way farther downtown, keeping my hood up, my head down, especially when Thracian guards patrolled past me. It's not like all of them would notice me but I didn't want to risk them recognizing me and escorting me back to the palace, or worse, around town. Then everyone would know who I was and that's not what I wanted.

I ended up buying some scrolls to read, ones I'd end up giving to my father or possibly King Alkis if he wanted them. I bought a drink when the sun got higher in the sky, heating everything up. It was near the end of the main street when I turned my head towards a vendor selling turquoise jewelry. It was rare to come across and I went over there just to admire it. The vendor, an old man, asked kindly, "See something you like, miss?"

"Everything," I laughed. "It's gorgeous."

"How much money do you have on you?"

"Not near enough to buy any of this," I replied. "I'm just sort of browsing. Acquainting myself with the city."

"Are you a handmaiden of the princess? Or did you just tag along with her throng?"

Avoiding the question, I questioned, "Do you like her?"

"I have never seen her, therefore I do not know what to make of her. I'm wondering when and if they'll show her to us before the wedding."

"Maybe she has shown her face, she just doesn't want you to know it's her," I suggested.

"Are you saying the princess has been sneaking out unguarded just to see the city?"

"Like you said, none of you have seen. Perhaps the palace is keeping her walls and she's going stir-crazy. I would." It seemed to dawn on the man at what I was hinting. His mouth parted open but I held my finger up to my lips. "I want to get to know the townspeople and the town I'm going to be living in."

"You avoid saying 'ruling.' Why?"

"I'm not sure you would like me using that word."

"I have no enmity towards you or your family my lady. It is an honor to meet you," he said, bowing. "Please, as a sign of my good faith in you, choose a piece, any piece, and it is yours!"

"Oh no, I couldn't do that! You work too hard. I honestly do not have enough money to pay for any of this and I would feel awful not doing so," I protested.

"Then pay me as much as you wish with what you have," he bargained. The offer was not ideal, but the jewelry was so gorgeous I took him up on his offer. I bought a ring since it was cheapest and closest to the amount of money I had left, but it really was pretty, and it fit my finger too. I thanked him profusely, asking his name for future reference. We parted and I headed back to the palace, smiling at my productive day. I entered the palace grounds through the back way. However, I wasn't in the mood to go back to my room just yet. I switched directions. My feet brought me to Julian's house. It was spacious, well-decorated, yet cozy. I knocked politely on the door. A woman, barely a couple years older than me, answered. She had raven locks that tumbled down her shoulders and blue eyes the color of the ocean.

"Hello, my name is-"

"Kiara! I'm Penelope. It's so nice to finally meet you! Julian has told me so much about you- I feel as if we're friends already! Please, please, come in, get out of the heat," Penelope ushered me in. "What brings you to our door? Do you wish to speak to Julian?"

"No, I wished to meet you. Your husband told me about you a few nights ago when we were talking. I wanted to meet the woman he is so in love with."

"I'm a very lucky woman." She smiled. "Did you go into town?"

"Yes. I've been going crazy being stuck in the palace constantly. I needed to escape."

"Kyrian's going to have his hands full with you," Penelope laughed. "You two are well-suited though from what Julian's told me."

"Really?"

"He said your morals and ideals are much the same. Your personalities are quite similar as well. Stubbornness being at the top of that list," she joked.

"Ah, yeah. I'll agree to that one. Out of curiosity, what else did he say?"

Laughing, Penelope answered, "That once you two get off this little quarrel, you two might actually profess your undying love to each other."

I snorted. "Because that will definitely happen! Okay, let's talk about you and Julian. How long have you two been married?"

"Only a year. We were lucky ones. We knew each other for a long time so when our parents decided to match us, we celebrated. He and I were so excited. Julian rarely shows emotion too so knowing he showed his excitement in front of everyone, well, it made me feel very sure about his love for me. It's been nice, it being just us. But soon it's not going to be that way."

"Are you pregnant?"

Penelope blushed. "Yes."

"You haven't told him, have you?"

"Uh, no… he's been coming home so late and I'm usually asleep by then and he leaves before I wake up. Then when I see him during the day… he's just been very down lately and I'm not… I'm not sure how he'll react."

I stood up. "Come! You're going to tell him. I'll escort you there. And Penelope, I can assure you, he is going to be thrilled." Holding out my hand for her to take it, I led her inside the palace. The two of us walked up to my room so I could place my purchases down. After taking off my cloak, we looped our arms through each other and exited, heading to the training field where Julian most likely was.

"Your highness!" Penthea exclaimed, running up to me with Zelina. "There you are!"

"Is everything all right?" I inquired.

"I'm sorry! We tried to keep it quiet but your parents forced it out of us where you were! They are demanding to speak with you," Zelina explained. "They're in the throne room."

"That is on the way to the training field. Penelope, I'm afraid I'll have to leave you halfway there. Forgive me?" I asked.

"Of course! I hope you're not in too much trouble," she said.

"I don't care if I get in trouble. It was worth leaving. I've been cooped up in this palace too long." I waved my hand, urging them to continue walking. We'd barely gone two steps when ten men, burly and brooding, blocked our path. The four of us halted.

"May I help you?" I asked politely.

"Are you Princess Kiara?" The leader asked.

"It depends on who's asking," Zelina intervened.

"Shut up bitch," the leader snarled.

"Don't talk to her like that," I ordered, glaring at him.

"She was supposed to be alone," Another guy muttered.

"Looks like we'll just have to kill them too." The men advanced on us. Being weaponless, we had no other option but to run. The armor slowed our attackers down, but not my much.

"Someone help us!" Penelope screamed.

"Kyrian! We have to find him!" I shouted. A startled yelp brought me to a skidding halt. Whirling around, they had a Penelope, a sword to her neck.

"All right Princess, we'll make you a deal. You let us kill you, your friends live. You keep running, we kill your friends one by one," the leader sneered.

"Ki-Kiara, don't do it," Penelope begged. My heart beat in my chest. I couldn't take on all of them but I could take one by surprise and- what was I thinking?! I had my dagger! I'd brought it along for some protection when I went into town…

"Let her go," I said, walking towards them. "I agree to your terms."

The leader grinned maliciously, shoving Penelope at me. I caught the crying girl. "Kiara don't," she begged, "Please, just run."

"No, I made a deal."

"It doesn't matter if they kill me! You're the princess!"

"And you're the pregnant one." Pulling her into a hug, I discreetly pulled my dagger from a hidden pocket in my dress while whispering, "I'll be fine. Go get Kyrian and Julian, bring them here, and take Zelina and Penthea with you. Understood?"

"Yes, yes, understood," Penelope agreed.

"What is understood?" The leader demanded.

"Just telling her to tell Kyrian I love him," I said. "Now go."

Penelope backed away slowly, grabbing onto Zelina and Penthea's hands.

"No, I'm staying here," Penthea declared, coming to stand next to me. "My princess dies, I die with her."

I looked at her, and the expression on her face, the determination in her eyes told me nothing I could do or say would ever convince her to leave my side. I was grateful for the backup, but I feared for her life. Nodding at her, I urged the other girls to go. With one last desperate look, they obeyed, scurrying away. Taking a deep breath, I walked up to the leader.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Giving me an evil grin, he raised his sword. Before he could do anything else, I stabbed him in the throat with my dagger, yanking it out immediately. Blood poured down his chest and onto his armor. His comrades stared in shock.

I growled, "I promised I'd let you kill me. I didn't promise you not to fight back." I snatched the sword out of his hand, handing it to Penthea and took her hand, dashing down the hallway. "CATCH ME IF YOU CAN ASSHOLES!"

"Are you taunting them?" Penthea asked incredulously.

"If I'm going to die, I'm going to have fun messing with my captors in the process," I huffed. The two of us skidded around the corner. A vase caught my eye. I grabbed it, holding my breath. When the first assassin rounded the corner, I smashed the ceramic piece into his face. He fell back. His followers tripped over him as I skittered out of their reach. They scrambled back up after me and Penthea. She and I had a good head start until we rounded another corner, coming to a dead end. We whirled around as the men trapped us.

"Nice try princess," the shortest one said.

I literally looked down at him and said, "I could stomp on you and you would be dead."

"She has a mouth on her doesn't she?"

"Let's cut out her tongue first. See how snappy she is after that," the guy next to him suggested.

"My bite is worse than my bark," I countered, seriously regretting my earlier taunting.

The short one laughed. "Get her!"

* * *

><p><strong>Julian<strong>

We heard their shouts first, but we didn't know who it was at first. Kyrian and I'd been in the training field, practicing before we headed out in two days. Our soldiers surrounded us, doing the same. I'd been so focused on the battle that I at first didn't hear the girls' shouts. It was Kyiran who halted me. He cocked his head to the left, a curious expression on his face. The shouts became clearer and clearer, changing from "GET OUT OF OUR WAY" to "WHERE ARE KYRIAN AND JULIAN!" My friend and I jogged over to the general commotion. Penelope and Zelina slid into view, panic written all over their faces.

"Kyrian! Come quickly!" Zelina pleaded frantically, pulling on his hands.

"What's happening?" I queried, following them. My wife was dragging me. Glancing over at my friend, he appeared just as bewildered as I was.

"It's Kiara! Please, she's going to die if you don't hurry! Assassins, loads of them! Hurry!" Penelope insisted. All the color drained out of Kyrian's face.

"Where is she?!" he demanded. The girls bolted. We followed. I could tell he was having to stop himself from running full out because if he did, he would easily outdistance my wife and the servant and since they were the only ones that could lead the way, there was no point in doing so. We went up the stairs where Kiara's room was located. First thing I noticed was a few feet away lay a man in a pool of blood. The second thing I noticed was the sound of metal on metal, screams and shouts somewhere farther down the hall.

"Kiara…" Kyrian murmured before sprinting away. The girls and I followed. When we came to the dead end, five more men were dead on the floor. Four men were circling Kiara and Penthea. Kyrian unsheathed his sword; I followed in suit.

* * *

><p><strong>Kiara<strong>

The fighting was really a blur. I don't remember killing the men, and to be honest, I didn't want to. Five more of them had been slain by the combined efforts of me and Penthea. She was a good fighter and I was glad she had my back.

I slashed at my next target, the short guy that had been threatening to cut my tongue out. He lunged at me and I danced back. Unfortunately I failed to realize there was another attacker behind me. He yanked me by my hair, a yelp erupting from my throat.

"NO!" Two voices shouted in unison. Simultaneously I heard a sword being run through someone as my hair was released. I stumbled forward, turning around to see what happened. Julian stood there, his sword impaling the man who'd grabbed my hair.

"Kiara!" Penelope screamed. I faced her just in time to see the short man's sword coming towards my neck. It never connected with me though. His hand was lopped off by Kyrian's sword, followed by his head. It thumped to the ground, rolling next to my feet. Sometime during the battle the third man had been cut down, leaving one more. I wondered where he went. It didn't take long though. I felt the cold metal of a sword pressed against my throat, cutting into my skin; an armed wrapped tightly around me.

"Drop your weapons! Drop them!" My captor barked. Kyrian and Julian stared. The former was shaking but I couldn't decide from what? Anger? Adrenaline? Fear? I mentally laughed at that one. He never got scared. "If you don't drop them, I'll kill her."

"If I place my sword down, you will hand her over to me?" Kyrian asked.

"If you let me free," the man bargained.

"Your freedom for her. Just give her to me. Please." My fiancé began placing his sword on the ground. Julian did the same. Midway there, Kyrian shouted, "Now!"

The man holding me let out a short yell; his sword hand slackened on my neck. I yanked his arm away but when he tried to put it back where it'd been before, I sank my teeth into his arm. His sword clattered to the ground. Kyrian barked at me to get down to the ground. A very prominent 'snap' could be heard; the last attacker fell to the ground, his head at an unnatural angle. Penthea lay on the ground. I crawled over to her and drew her into a hug, thanking her profusely for staying with me. Pulling away, I was about to say if it weren't for her, I'd be dead, when I noticed the ashen color of her face. "Penthea? What's wrong?"

"That was certainly an adventure," she whispered, giving me a smile. Blood trickled out of her mouth. Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Princess."

I felt my mouth drop open as I looked down. Her garments were stained with blood from her victims, but a spot above her stomach was drenched. I knew that was a wound of her own. Pressing my hand against the injury, I said, "No, no, no, you can't leave me alone here. You can't- you're not- Penthea?"

The light left my friend's eyes as she slumped forward. I caught her, pulling her close. I felt tears streaming down my face but I made no sound. I heard my parents demanding what happened and the shuffle of feet from guards coming to clear the dead bodies. Someone gently unwrapped my arms from Penthea's lifeless body. I fell into the person, continuing my silent weeping. They pulled me in close, cradling my head against the crook of their neck.

I'm not sure how much time had passed before I heard Kyrian say softly, "Zelina, take her back to her room. Get her cleaned up and get her some fresh clothes. Julian go with them."

"What about you?" Julian asked as gentle hands lifted me up. My eyes were too watery for me to see clearly. Zelina consoled me as she led me away. I just barely heard Kyrian's response: "Her father is demanding a meeting. I fear what her parents are going to do because of this. This… this will not go without serious repercussions. Take care of her. You're the only one I trust to do so."

* * *

><p><strong>Ah poor Penthea :( I didn't want to kill her but I had to. Review please :)<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**Read on :)**

**Chapter Quote:  
><strong>"**I'm not tense, just terribly, terribly alert."**

* * *

><p>Chapter 7<p>

**Julian**

I caught up to the three girls after talking with Kyrian. Kiara had her arms wrapped around her stomach, shoulders hunched up, flinching every time one of the other girls tried to touch her. I quietly escorted them back to her room.

"Your highness, let's get you out of those clothes. They're all bloody," Zelina said gingerly.

"Go. I can do this myself. Just… go. Please," Kiara said in a low, firm tone. Her servant hesitated but conceded, curtsying and exiting out the door. I told her that if she needed anything, I would be right outside her door. She only nodded. I stood at attention outside her door, listening for any sound of an intruder. Nothing came from her room. When a good four hours had passed without so much as a shuffle, I poked my head in to make sure she was still there. Kiara was curled up in ball, covers pulled up tight to her chest. Her eyes were closed, her breathing slow. She was asleep. Shutting the door, I resumed position until the Grecian queen and her daughter-in-law, Elysia, came up to me.

"How is she?" The queen asked.

"Asleep, your majesty," I responded.

She nodded. "We will go in without making a sound then."

* * *

><p><strong>Kyrian<strong>

"My daughter was nearly murdered!" King Nikolos shouted. He, Prince Taren, my father, and I were all standing up around the table in the dining hall. "I am to marry her to your son but how I can I leave her here after what just happened? Are your guards that incompetent?! I never should have arranged this marriage. I should've found another way to improve our relations with your country other than subjecting my daughter to a marriage she didn't want to go through with in the first place!"

A cold feeling settled into my heart. King Nikolos had been right. Kiara hadn't wanted this marriage, just as much as I hadn't, if not more. If Kiara got word that her father was fighting to end this marriage, she would persuade him to continue in his endeavor. Then I would lose the one girl I loved. I had met many women before, but none that enraptured me as much as her, none that I related to as much as her, none that I got along with as well as her, and not necessarily in that order. I wanted to fight this. I wanted to fight to keep her. But if she didn't want to be here, I wasn't going to keep her here.

_But you love her_. My mind whispered at me. _Fight for her. You fell in love with her. Maybe it's possible for her to fall in love with you._

"If this decision involves our marriage, then she deserves to have a say in this debate as well," I interrupted.

"She is a woman," Prince Taren countered.

"And that makes a difference how?" I demanded. "This is her decision as much as ours. I'm still willing to go through with this wedding, and if she's willing as well then we should still do this. Unless you can come up with better alternative solutions to strengthen our ties with you. We have been at this for four hours. It is hot, we are stressed, we are tired, and I think it best we conclude the meeting for today and resume it tomorrow."

Prince Taren looked ready to argue but King Nikolos gave me inquisitive look before agreeing with me. "Wise words, Prince Kyrian. We will continue this discussion tomorrow. In the meantime, I am going to go see my daughter." He bowed to me and my father before sweeping out of the room, his son following in suit. I sat in the chair behind me, rubbing my forehead.

"Why are you suddenly so willing to go through with this marriage? I am not the only one who noticed. It may have slipped past Taren but not Alkis. He saw the change as well." My father's face grew grave. "What have you two done?"

"Where has this unflattering reputation of mine with women come from? No, father, we haven't done anything. In fact we haven't spoken to each other the past few days. I'm going to speak with Julian."

"You're in love with her."

"So what if I am? If she doesn't want to go through with this, in the state her father's in, she'll be able to convince him to cancel everything. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast." I left, going straight to Kiara's room. Julian stood there, his eyes snapping over to me, alert and ready in case I was an assassin. He visibly relaxed when he saw it was me.

"What's the verdict? The king and prince came up here just few minutes ago. They looked angry. At least Taren did. Nikolos seemed… perplexed," Julian whispered to prevent us from being overheard.

I ran my hand through my hair. "It's all gone to hell. Her father wants to end the marriage arrangement right now, her brother too. I'm already on thin ice with her and if she finds out there's a way for her to get out of this marriage, I fear she'll take it and persuade her father to make it happen and I don't want to lose her, Julian, but I'm not going to force her to stay here. Besides, then she could be with Agathon without having to worry about being faithful to me."

"Pretty sure she doesn't want Agathon."

"Why would that be?"

"Would she punch a man she loves?"

"_She punched Agathon_?" I demanded incredulously. "Why?"

"Don't know; she didn't elaborate, but that's how she hurt the knuckles on her left hand."

"And on her right?"

"She punched a marble column."

"_Why did she do that_?" I asked exasperatedly.

"She didn't elaborate," he repeated.

I groaned. "Why don't you go home? I'll take up watch."

"Kyrian, you are exhausted. I'm fine. Go to sleep."

"I can't sleep. Looks like we're sharing the shift together." My friend shook his head at my obstinacy but said nothing. I was grateful. I didn't want to argue with anyone at the moment, not even a little one with Julian. I was afraid I'd lose my temper again, and remembering what happened between me and Kiara when I did, I wanted to avoid that at all costs.

* * *

><p><strong>Kiara<strong>

I woke up for the fifth time in a cold sweat. Images of Penthea dying in my arms haunted me every time I closed my eyes, every time I dreamed. I ran my hands through my hair, forcing my most recent nightmare of my mind. Easier said than done. Sun shone through my curtains, causing me to wonder what time of day it was. Rolling out of bed, I walked to the door. When I poked my head out, my head connected with the back of a guard. He jumped, unsheathing his sword.

"Kiara?"

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank the gods it's you Julian. What are you doing out here? Weren't you here last night?"

"Yes, but Kyrian forced me to go home. You just missed him by the way."

"He was here?" I replied bewilderedly.

"All night, guarding. Found him pacing this morning. Whether that's because of worrying about you, trying to keep himself awake, or thinking about what's going to happen during his next meeting with your father and brother, I couldn't tell you."

"Why is he having you guard me though? I thought you'd be with Penelope!" I exclaimed.

"Why?" he queried curiously.

"Because she- oh, she hasn't told you yet has she?"

"Told me what?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Call for Zelina and tell her to bring Penelope here. I fear without my urging she won't tell you for some time. I shall get dressed in the meantime. While I have no problem staying in my sleep wear, it wouldn't be proper to do so."

I could tell Julian was actually worried about his wife had to tell him. I quickly switched into one of my favorite dresses- a pale blue one with beads embroidered on the top. It was simple, but suited me nicely. I'd finished not a moment too soon because there was a polite knocking on my door. Telling them they could enter, Penelope and Julian came into my room.

"Are you sure Kiara? I mean after everything that's just happened-" Penelope began.

"Yes, of course I'm sure!" I insisted, taking their hands and leading them to the sitting area in my room. "We are mourning a life, yes, but that does not mean we cannot celebrate a new one."

"What are you two talking about?" Julian questioned hesitantly.

His wife blushed. "Um, I've been meaning to tell you for the past few weeks but you just seemed so stressed whenever you came home and then I'd plan on telling you when I woke up in the morning but you were already gone and then I'd tell myself I'd tell you when you got home at night but then I always fell asleep and-"

"Penelope, love, just tell me!" Julian laughed.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted. Her husband's mouth dropped open.

"You're-you're pregnant? I'm going to be a father?" Penelope nodded. He beamed, swinging her around. "That's wonderful! This is amazing news! Gods I love you!"

I bowed my head to give the two of them a small amount of privacy as he kissed her, only straightening up when Julian put his hand on my shoulder.

"We must celebrate, before I leave. I will call for a small party. You, Kyrian, a few generals, a few of your friends Penelope, whichever you want, our servants- we will have a feast and wine. Our first official invitation: Princess Kiara, do accept?" Julian bowed with his hand thrust out.

"I would love to," I agreed.

"When Kyrian is done with his meeting with your father and brother, I shall go to him and-"

"Wait, weren't they speaking yesterday as well?" I questioned seriously.

Julian looked like a thief who'd been caught. "Yes…"

"What are the speaking about?" I demanded. After a careful thought, I said, "Correction: what are my father and brother threatening?" He didn't respond. "Julian!"

"I can't tell you! Kyrian made me promise not to say anything until he got it figured out. In his defense, he's been trying to get you into the meeting to help the decision but your father and brother are refusing."

"What could be taking this- oh gods… they're trying to cancel the wedding, aren't they? No, no, no!" I gathered my dress so I could run faster. I darted out of my room, Julian and Penelope on my heels.

"Okay, two questions. First, how did you even figure that out?" Julian asked, running alongside me.

"So I was right!" I declared victoriously.

"You didn't know?!"

"Seemed like what my father and brother would threaten. What's your second question?"

"What exactly are you planning on doing?"

"If my father and brother won't include me, then I will include myself." I skidded to a stop.

"They're not going to-" Julian began as I pushed the doors open. King Alkis stood at the head of the table. Kyrian to his right, King Nikolos and Prince Taren to his left. My father had been in the middle of a heated statement when he saw me.

"Like that…" Julian finished in a mumble.

"Kiara, what are you doing?" My father asked sternly.

"I could ask you the same question. What is this about cancelling my marriage?" I strode over to the table.

"Julian," Kyrian groaned, his head hanging down.

"She figured it out herself, just for the record. I don't know how she did it, she just… did," Julian said. Kyrian lifted his head again, raising his eyebrows at his friend. Before he could make eye contact with me, I looked at my father.

* * *

><p><strong>Julian<strong>

"I'm not some dumb, broad. I'm a princess. I have been trained for years in diplomacy and I know my family like the back of my hand. I knew it was something my father and brother would do," Kiara said with a slightly insulted expression. "Give me credit where credit is due. Now, what is the meaning of this?"

"The meaning of this is I don't trust you to be in good hands after I marry you off to this prince when his guard allowed you to not only escape your room unseen but allowed assassins into the castle and nearly got you killed!" King Nikolos roared.

"The assassins wore the armor of the Thracian army," she argued with just as much ferocity. "First, I would like to point out that whoever sent them was smart. They knew anyone who wasn't a servant or a guard would be questioned about why they were in the palace. This is no fault of Kyrian's or his father." At the mention of his name from her mouth, Kyrian's tense shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. He focused on King Nikolos as Kiara continued. "Second, there were no guards outside my room when I left, meaning that the assassins must've told my guards they were taking over their shift and had planned on killing me earlier that morning except I eluded them by sneaking out of the palace."

"You did what?" Kyrian blurted out incredulously.

She ignored him. "Elaborating on my second point, I foiled their plans the first time. Unfortunately not the second as we all know. So my point is that I believe this was an inside job. If you want to search for this assassin, look in the palace."

"Do you know who would have such a grudge against you?" King Alkis asked.

"No, I mean, the only person I can think of that doesn't like me is Alcina, but to go as far as to kill me?"

"Regardless, I want her interrogated. But Kiara, think, if someone wants you dead this badly, you are safer back home," King Nikolos pointed out.

"We have to do it to strengthen our alliance with Thrace," Kiara countered, bracing herself against the table, mirroring Kyrian's actions. "Unless you have come up with a better, alternate solution."

"You sound like Kyrian," her father noted.

She stiffened. "No worries. We haven't discussed any of this. It's not like we've spoken to each other the past few days thanks to our busy schedules."

"You were so against this marriage, little sister. What changed?" Prince Taren queried.

"Because I've gotten to know him, and I know I can live with this decision, live with Kyrian for the rest of my life."

"You won't even show affection to him publicly," her brother countered smugly.

Kiara gave him a smile that screamed sarcasm. "We didn't want people to get the wrong idea, but if it's affection you wish for, I have no problem showing it." Without looking at him, she took Kyrian's hand into hers. He smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Kiara<strong>

I felt the surprise from Kyrian in the brief tension in his hand. However, thankfully, he went with it. His thumb glided up and down my hand gently, making my heart jump a little. I forced myself to not grin when he looked over at me.

"Something has changed in you little sister. I intend to find out what," Taren told me.

"I wish you the best of luck, your highness," I replied calmly although in reality I wanted to strangle him. "Now that these matters have been decided and that Kyrian and mine's marriage is still on, I must be off to help plan a celebration."

"What are we celebrating?" My father asked.

Julian beamed. "I'm going to be a father, your majesty."

Kyrian broke into a smile, albeit a tired one, but a genuine one nonetheless. He walked over to his friend, clapping him on the back. "Congratulations, Julian. And you too Penelope," he said cheerfully, kissing her on the cheek.

"You're all invited. Tonight, at our house, when the sun sets," Penelope offered, intertwining her fingers through her husband's.

"You can count me being there."

"You'll have to excuse me and my son, but we have business matters to attend to. Thank you for the invitation though," my father said courteously. King Alkis gave much the same response. I took my leave with Penelope and Julian. A few seconds later Kyrian joined us, walking beside me. It was the closest we'd been to each other since our argument. I still couldn't look him in the eye. I felt awkward doing so, after what he witnessed between me and Agathon.

"Penelope, Kiara, you two leave everything to me," Julian said. "I will make sure all the invitations go out, that we have the necessary food and drink."

"Leave us, well, me, to decorating. You can't have a party without decorations," I pointed out.

"What will I do?" Penelope asked indignantly.

"_You_ get relax and tell everyone what to do. You are the queen for the day," I declared. "Come, there's much to do."

A few hours later, the party was in full swing. Close friends of Penelope's and army friends of Julian's had been invited. He'd managed to get a small group of musicians to play music as well. I went around, introducing myself, wanting to get to know more people. They all bowed and curtsied but I insisted that wasn't necessary, not in such a casual situation.

All the girls fussed over Penelope, and I could tell it was embarrassing my friend. She sent me a 'help me' glance but I shrugged, trying to silently tell her that I couldn't think of anything to get her out of it. I went to grab a drink, pouring myself a small cup of wine. Taking sips as I walked around, I carefully observed everything going on. A few men at one table were having an arm wrestling competition. At another table, a bunch of women gossiped about something. Three women, elders, talked quietly, every once in a while glancing over at me. I'd smile at them, but felt self-conscious. Were they talking about me?

Julian sat near the fire with Penelope in his lap. Both of them were glowing from happiness. Kyrian leaned against a column, laughing at something his friend said, but there was something strange about it. His laugh ended too quickly. I knew what that meant. He had other things on his mind. Something was bothering him.

"Your highness?" A soldier asked, tapping me on the shoulder. He was young, dark black hair and dark brown eyes. I remembered him introducing himself as Lander earlier.

"Hello, soldier," I greeted.

"I am not worthy to ask a lady of you status this, but may I have this dance?"

I smiled. "Why not?"

Setting my wine glass down, I let the soldier lead me to dance floor where everyone gathered. It was actually a very traditional dance, one where you just needed a partner. I was glad it wasn't one of the more intimate traditional dances. Those are awkward if you don't know your partner…

The wine helped me be more outgoing and probably helped me dance better because let's be honest here, I'm not the best dancer. One dance turned into ten, and by the end of the tenth, my feet were killing me. However, the most drunken man in the room hollered out that this next dance, everyone was required to dance, including the hosts. I jumped up and down in excitement; the wine may have been going to my head a little. I took my place in the circle, looking around to see where Kyrian was. He was nowhere to be found. Julian slipped in next to me with Penelope. Leaning over to me, he whispered, "He's outside if you want to see him."

I nodded, making up an excuse so I could escape the dance. No one paid me much attention when I slipped through the door. He sat on the porch, watching the world go by, but turned his head when he heard the door open. Surprise at the sight of me showed on Kyrian's face, but he gave me a small smile.

"Hey, what are you doing out here?" he questioned.

I shut the door and sat down next to him. "Looking for you."

Silence ensued for a few moments before he asked, "How are your hands?"

"They're healing."

"Is it true you punched Agathon?" His tone hinted he was trying to hide his amusement.

"Yes," I replied. "He came to apologize once he was sober but I was still so infuriated with him that I just… sort of… punched him. I would've hit him harder if I'd used my right hand but considering that was the one I used to punch a marble column." I studied my hand. The scabs and bruises had reduced significantly and were hardly noticeable anymore.

"Why did you punch a column?"

"I was frustrated. Oh, and you think my hand looks bad, you should see the column."

Kyrian chuckled. "I'm going to do that when we get back to the palace. But what were you so frustrated about? Is everything okay?"

"Depends on what matter you're talking about," I joked humorlessly.

"What's bothering you most?"

"Us," I confessed, finally meeting his gaze for the first time in our conversation.

"What about us?"

"I fear after what I caused between you and Agathon and what I caused between you and I that all the progress we made in getting to know each other has been ruined, that we've relapsed back to our original relationship and I don't want that. I wanted to make amends with you the moment you walked out that door. In fact I went searching for you but I heard you in the training field and after hearing what you had to say, it frightened me, so I left."

"You heard what I said?!"

"Just the part where you were stupid for trusting me and that you wanted to cancel the marriage. And your sword. You really wanted your sword. According to Julian there was a bunch more that I should've stayed and listened to."

"No, no, no, what I said- I was ranting. Hell, I was lying to myself when I said that. The part you should've heard was Julian actually having me admit that I was lying to myself. He's good at getting me to do that but that's not my point. My point is I do trust you, and I don't want this marriage to be cancelled. May I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you call me 'your highness' after our fight?"

"This sounds so childish come to think of it, but I was hurt by your outburst, but rather than show that, I do what I do best: I hid my emotions. Besides, it felt weird calling you Kyrian at that moment. It felt like our whole relationship had crashed in that moment and the first name basis thing had disappeared. Stupid I know. Why did it bother you so much?"

"Do you instill fear into every man's heart you meet?" He countered with a smile. "I thought you were angry with me and had convinced myself you were going to go to your father to persuade him into cancelling the marriage. Stupid, I know… will you forgive me though? For my outburst at you?"

"I do, but you are not the one who should be asking for forgiveness. I've been a child. I should've come to you sooner. In fact, I should've let you put Agathon in his place."

Kyrian snorted. "I think you did that yourself."

"I better have…" I muttered. "Do you forgive me?"

"You have nothing to be forgiven for, but if it makes you feel better, then yes. I do."

I let out a sigh of relief. I looked up at the stars, rubbing my hands up and down my arms trying to warm myself up. Kyrian placed his arm around me, pulling me close. The man could be a fire he was so warm. I snuggled up to him and turned my head towards him.

"So why are you out here?" I inquired.

He sighed. "Trying to figure out when I'll actually be home for more than a month."

"You have three more days."

"Not anymore. We just received word the situation in the town has worsened and need quicker help. We leave on the morrow."

"Well that bites. How long will the journey take?"

"Two weeks at most, I promise. When I get back, can we go back to our daily lunches? I do miss those?"

"Maybe some midnight walks too? I remember you talking about those."

"I will hop over to your balcony from mine and sweep you off your feet down to the garden. Convenient it's right outside our balconies. Kiara, there's something else I wanted to speak to about."

"Hmm?"

"After the events yesterday and seeing as how we are still trying to find your assassin and seeing as how you are the spirited person you are, I thought it may be a good idea to train you how to fight. You can already fight, I saw that, but just as a precaution-"

"That sounds amazing! When do I start?" I asked eagerly.

"We have a sword master here that's willing to teach you. I will inform him through word that you have decided to take up lessons. He will instruct you from there until Julian and I arrive. After that, Julian will teach you. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Do try not to let trouble find you though," he laughed, bracing his head against mine.

"I will try, but no promises," I told him. The two of us then sat there, foreheads touching, me wrapped in his arms. I could've sat there all night had we not been interrupted by the door opening. We turned our heads back to look at the person. Julian stood there, grinning triumphantly.

"About time you two," he said drolly. "We're about to have one last dance before everyone goes home. I was going to see if you two wanted to join, but you look pretty cozy out here."

"We have the rest of our lives to be cozy with each other. I stood up, pulling Kyrian up with me. "All right General, you're my partner for this."

"Oh really? Is that an order _prinkípissa mou_?" He bantered.

"Considering you're a general and I'm a princess, I outrank you, so therefore, yes, this is an order."

"An order which I am happy to oblige." The two of us entered Julian's house and took up our places on the dance floor.

* * *

><p><strong>The next morning…<strong>

I walked down to the stables where the last few soldiers were getting their horses ready. I passed Julian who smiled tiredly at me. I returned it. I went to the very end of the stables where I found my fiancé saddling his horse. He was humming the song we'd danced to last night as well. The sound brought a smile to my face.

"Hey there, General," I greeted, leaning against the stable door.

Kyrian beamed at the sight of me. "I was worried I wasn't going to be able to see you before I left."

"I couldn't let that happen. Besides, I've been up for hours. Need any help?"

"Why have you been up so long? And no, just having you here is all I need."

"Such a charmer," I chuckled. "And just couldn't sleep last night, that's all."

Kyrian finished putting on the bridle before coming over to me, taking my hands in his. "I promise this is the last trip I will be making before our wedding. Afterwards we can spend as much time as we want together."

"Just come back to me… General."

"Yes, _prinkípissa mou_," he said with a smirk. "Please be here when I come back."

"Where on earth can I go?"

"There's been an attempt on your life. Did you think I wouldn't worry? Not to mention you are incredible at sneaking out and around. Yes, I'm going to be very worried."

"It's not like I go looking for trouble! Trouble just seems to find me… but you need not worry. I have no plans of getting myself killed, whether it be by assassins or by my explorations outside the palace. For the record, I do not plan to leave the palace any time soon. I will be here when you get back. I promise."

Kyrian nodded but I could tell he didn't believe me about leaving the palace. He took my right hand in his left and grabbed the reins of his horse in his right. We walked out of the now deserted stables onto the street. Soldiers were hopping onto their horses, others double-checking they had everything. Julian was barking orders, keeping everyone in line.

"I will see you in a fortnight," Kyrian vowed, kissing me on the head.

"Just come back to me, General," I replied, giving him a kiss on the cheek. My fiancé bowed before getting on his white horse. Giving me one last smile, he spurred his horse towards Julian, shouting for the soldiers to fall in. His army did as they were told immediately. Once in formation, the horde began to ride off.

"Are you Princess Kiara?" A voice asked from behind me.

I froze. "Depends on who's asking."

"My name is Aemon. I'm the sword master here. I've been given word you wanted to train."

Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned around. The man was about fifty, short and stocky with a greying beard. His eyes were kind though. "Yes, sir."

"Please, call me Aemon. If you will follow me to the training ground, we will begin your lessons, Princess Kiara."

"Call me Kiara. Lead the way, Aemon."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally glad Kiara and Kyrian are talking again :) Review please!<strong>


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